Antigua Looks Closer To Legal "Piracy" of US-Copyrighted Works 327
Mark Gibbs writes "Shiver me timbers: Antigua and Barbuda's 'WTO Remedies Implementation Committee', is said to be recommending the establishment by the Government of Antigua & Barbuda of a statutory body to own, manage and operate the ultimate platform to be created for the monetisation or other exploitation of the suspension of American intellectual property rights authorised earlier this year by the WTO ... Additionally, an announcement regarding the opening of tenders for private sector participation in the operating of the platform should be announced shortly. Arghhh ... matey!" See also this Slashdot post (from 2007) for some background.
Could be a big boon to the world (Score:5, Interesting)
if Google would slip them all those books.
Hurr durr (Score:3, Interesting)
said to be recommending the establishment by the Government of Antigua & Barbuda of a statutory body to own, manage and operate the ultimate platform to be created for the monetisation or other exploitation of the suspension of American intellectual property rights authorised
Why does this press release read like an EULA? I mean that is a retarded amount of long words to describe a very simple idea. Why can't they just write it up as "We're bringing back fair use, bitches!"
Re:Public domain (Score:4, Interesting)
US property laws remind me of a novice, power-mad AD&D DM. After too many rules about what players can do and too many "whups, didn't search for that piece of glass, ahaha, party dead, roll up new characters", the rest of the people in the game just shrugged, picked up their dice and paper, and went elsewhere.
Fair IP laws are one thing. However, when it gets to the point where one has to fight IP law to publish/sell anything new, where only the largest companies can produce anything, it is no wonder why some countries just give a middle finger and go about their business.
The Snowden event is a watershed. Before that, people cooperated with the US to ensure that Mickey Mouse stays well protected. However, with the roaring anti-US sentiment kept stoked at an extreme with the daily reports from the Guardian, it is no wonder why other nations have stopped playing ball.
Re:Public domain (Score:4, Interesting)
How can the "need to create culture" possibly be a weak argument? The US Constitution gives the goal of promoting progress in the sciences and useful arts as the very reason why copyright is allowed to exist under US law. Functionally, creating new culture certainly sounds like it falls under that clause -so how can the very thing which, constitutionally speaking, justifies copyright, be a weak argument, one way or the other?
Let's look at which way the arguement really goes, as well. Isn't it more likely, in general, that someone is claing the need to create culture is an argument for diluting or eliminating copyright, as is certainly the case for Antigua in this story? You've given us a couple of axioms, the first definitely true, and the second is technically a matter of opinion, but I will even grant you that second axiom freely - the timeless classics are very seldom matched by any new works. Still, your third term in your chain of logic doesn't really follow from those first two. I think you may be able to make a pretty decent rhetorical case, mind you, I just don't think you got there yet.
Re:Copyright haven, eh? (Score:0, Interesting)
Re:You go, Antigua ! (Score:3, Interesting)
"Not if he believes in himself as the son of god as that would convert him to a christian wouldn't it?"
He did not. He was _voted_ son of god 300 years after his death, he was a simple prophet until that.
The republicans of those days prevented many of the opponents of that vote to reach the poll.
Re:Antigua is a tropical island paradise (Score:4, Interesting)
Why shouldn't they? It is a logical progression and just because you do not want to gamble online does not mean that there is not a market for it. They have a right to fill that market. As for allowing the people to download, why not? It is also a logical progression into a market that for some strange reason the people that should be running it have chosen to run down. I cannot understand why more countries do not allow their people more freedom. You talk about greed but you are selective in where you see it. Things that should have quite reasonably have gone out of copyright have, through lobbies in the US government, been kept copyright and you see that as OK and see anyone that sees differently as bad... You are narrow minded. It is only through US corruption that the concept of "piracy" has been created. That corruption should end.
Yeah, I know you will start with all the claptrap about poor starving artists but they are not the ones that benefit from the twisted market that the new guilds have created. Just like the guilds of the middle ages, the concept of "intellectual property" will fail.