Re: [dvd-discuss] Hang the RIAA in their own noose.

[Tom <tom(at)lemuria.org>]

On Wed, Oct 17, 2001 at 08:52:13AM -0700, Richard Hartman wrote:
> The problem is that they _are_ paying attention
> to the _reality_ of the situation, instead of
> the "virtual" world.

I disagree on the argument, but I agree on the conclusion:


> For example, if I post a message to this mailing
> list the _reality_ is that dozens, if not hundreds,
> of copies will be created and sent hither and yon
> to the machine hosting the e-mail for each and every
> subscriber.  In addition, the web archive will recieve
> a copy.
> 
> The _virtual_ situation -- and (I believe) the model 
> by which most people would think of the list, based
> on the way human thought operates -- is that I have
> created a single copy to the "dvd-discuss" list.

jura is, however, a social science, not a natural science. therefore,
its domain is the way humans operate, not the way electrons do. it
should concern itself much more with the lower situation than the top
one.



> Now whether you want to cast this back into the physical
> copies realm and say that I have implicitly given permission
> for all copies required to fulfill the normal distribution
> of "dvd-discuss", I suppose you may.  But that is the road
> that leads to the status of temporary copies in caches and 
> how many emails can dance on the head of a pin.  I think that
> with the virtual world, working in the "model space" makes
> much more sense than working in the "physical space".  And
> in the _model_ I have posted one copy for all on this list
> to read.  If the NYT wants to publish this on paper, they
> would have to ask permission.

which follows if you accept that the legal eagles should be paying more
attention to humans than to electrons.


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