Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!umd5!uflorida!novavax!proxftl!jesse
From: jesse@proxftl.UUCP (Jesse Perry)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Piracy
Summary: Copyright laws allow free flow of information
Keywords: copy protection piracy
Message-ID: <309@proxftl.UUCP>
Date: 13 Jun 88 15:21:00 GMT
References: <9160@cisunx.UUCP> <1801@uhccux.UUCP> <807@netxcom.UUCP> <501@novavax.UUCP>
Organization: Proximity Technology, Ft. Lauderdale
Lines: 23


In article <501@novavax.UUCP>, maddoxt@novavax.UUCP (Thomas Maddox) writes:
> [Stuff about which kinds of copyright violations upset authors]
>
>       (As an aside, I believe most of us are committed in some way
> to the free flow of information; we feel that a culture which
> generates such a flow is a more open and civilized culture than one
> which does not.  Thus, we may be caught on the point where the right
> to personal property conflicts with this more general principle that
> dissemination of information is a good thing.)

I am committed to the free flow of information, or more specifically, of
*ideas*.  Copyright law does not treat *ideas* as intellectual property.
An idea cannot be copyrighted; only a particular expression of an idea
can be.

For example, Lotus Corp. has copyrighted a particular expression (the
1-2-3 program) of the *idea* of a spreadsheet program.  Nonetheless, the
idea of a spreadsheet program is still freely and legally available to
anyone interested, and anyone who wishes can write a spreadsheet program
of his or her own.

Thus, the enforcement of personal property rights by copyright law does
not conflict with the free flow of information.