Re: DMCA Alternatives

[David Goodman <dgoodman@Princeton.EDU>]

There will always be some difficult conflicts between the rights of the
creators to credit (both intellectual and financial) and the rights of the
public to access. Generally, the conventional legal approach that has been
evolved provides an adequate balance. When the interests are really
irreconcilable, then I know where I stand: If in doubt, the right of the
public to access is always more important.

There's a reason for this: the attempt to deny access under plausible but
specious pretexts is a well-tested instrument of totalitarian oppression.
Anyone who does not recognize this as a current danger should perhaps be
paying more attention to world events.

As Rick says,

> > Free as in freedom.  Information is inherently the common
> > wealth of humanity, the moment it's communicated.  There's
> > actually no two ways about that.

For those who may think 

> > it's hard to know where to start with this 

then I recommend starting with chapter 2 of John Stuart Mill's On
Liberty.  

Dr. David Goodman
Research Librarian and
Biological Science Bibliographer
Princeton University Library
Princeton, NJ 08544-0001
phone: 609-258-7785
fax: 609-258-2627
e-mail: dgoodman@princeton.edu