German Publishers Want Monopoly On Sentences 158
Glyn Moody writes "You think copyright can't get any more draconian? Think again. In Germany, newspaper publishers are lobbying for 'a new exclusive right conferring the power to monopolize speech e.g. by assigning a right to re-use a particular wording in the headline of a news article anywhere else without the permission of the rights holder. According to the drafts circulating on the Internet, permission shall be obtainable exclusively by closing an agreement with a new collecting society which will be founded after the drafts have matured into law. Depending on the particulars, new levies might come up for each and every user of a PC, at least if the computer is used in a company for commercial purposes.' Think that will never work because someone will always break the news cartel? Don't worry, they've got that covered too. They want to 'amend cartel law in order to enable a global "pooling" of all exclusive rights of all newspaper publishers in Germany in order to block any attempt to defect from the paywall cartel by a single competitor.' And rest assured, if anything like this passes in Germany, publishers everywhere will be using the copyright ratchet to obtain 'parity.'"
Wow (Score:3, Funny)
Heck, why not words (Score:5, Funny)
Knowing how German works there is clearly lots of room for creativity in word construction (or is that Wortbildungkreativität?) :D
Re:Second Renaissance (Score:5, Funny)
Which will come first, this "Second Renaissance" or the year of Linux on the desktop?
Halley's Comet [wikipedia.org]
Cease and desist letter, Parker Brothers (Score:5, Funny)
This is to inform you that the headline
"German Publishers Want Monopoly On Sentences"
infringes on our trademark, Monopoly. Please refrain from using this word in your headlines, or contact us for licensing arrangements. Further use will result in legal action.
We need to put a stop to this (Score:3, Funny)
I suggest a "period."
Re:"Informative" (Score:3, Funny)
This is Slashdot. "-1 Lame" is implied on all posts. We just moved the zero-point to compensate.
Re:So what (Score:4, Funny)
/Anonymously because I don't need the karma.
You arrogant presumptuous cunt.
Re:So what (Score:5, Funny)
Re:They did it with software so why not words? (Score:3, Funny)
the anti-software patent people will have a perfect analogy for their arguments
But they won't be allowed to use it in print, because it will be copyrighted.
Re:Word Permutations (Score:2, Funny)
Eventually they will get tired of this and stop reading newspapers altogether.
Hasn't that already happened? I mean, I thought newspapers being dead was why Rupert Murdoch was yelling about the internet and the end of the free ride. Maybe he's just off his meds.
Re:Round up the pirates (Score:3, Funny)
You do realize you're riffing on Ayn Rand, right? Not saying that's good or bad, but few people realize that was her principle point.
Maybe because it wasn't? Have you read any of her work? Or do you just get the liberal Cliff's notes?
She wasn't about stealing from society by force of law, she was about freedom from being coerced into giving to society. They are very different things (though to a socialist, they are identical). What about this law increases the freedom from being coerced into giving to society?
Frankly, Ayn Rand would be appalled at the proposed German law. It represents the exact opposite of the ideals she supported. In fact, it is very, very similar to the central theme in Atlas Shrugged. In Atlas Shrugged, it was impossible to exist in mainstream society without breaking the law. Her solution was to step out of society completely, and form a new one.
There was one pirate in the story, but he was characterized as quite a narcissistic asshole (though irresistible to the main character), and most of the people in the reclusive society of "doers" did not approve of his methods. John Galt, the elusive figure around which the story was built, and the ultimate role model pushed forward by Rand, was certainly no pirate. He did preach too much, in my opinion, when given the opportunity. That part of the book sucked.
Re:Arbeit macht frei (Score:1, Funny)
For those who are not familiar with this sentence:
"Arbeit macht frei", which literally translates to "work makes free" was an inscription at the entrances of several concentration camps during the Third Reich.
It is beyond me, why the parent uses this particular sentence. May I remind everybody that more than 7 million people died in these camps.
You do not make such a reference in a discussion on copyright. Get some human decency!
Re:So what (Score:3, Funny)
Err...Sorry for that typo. I meant to say “Your comment was insightful and funny, and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.”
The keys are like right next to each other...