On Owning Books and Music

[Michael Bailey]

It's neat that there are several different notions of property.
I like the GNU stuff and how it encourages people to share.
I also like the idea that I can own a book, or borrow it from the library.
and if someone says their digital files are restricted to certain uses
only, that seems like it should be their prerogative.  Common
courtesy.

It would be a shame if only one way of doing things existed.  As it
is, we have choices.

Stallman et al make valid objections to how Microsoft & them try to
monopolize with software patents so people *have* to use their private
stuff...and I support that distinction. If they had their way, they
would patent the plus sign.  Some of the patent claims are that
ridiculous.

It's also neat that there's a growing body of copyleft stuff, and also
public domain is a shared treasure that makes us all richer.

But Gates and RIAA and their legal sharks are within their rights, I'd
argue, in trying to invoke law against those who want to use
copyrighted stuff as if it were free.

My .02



"Man, they got a gang of coffee in Brazil" - Frank Sinatra