Re: [dvd-discuss] Distribution (Was: Eldred Being Argued Today)

[microlenz(at)earthlink.net]

On 9 Oct 2002 at 21:35, D. C. Sessions wrote:

Subject:        	[dvd-discuss] Distribution (Was: Eldred Being Argued Today)
From:           	"D. C. Sessions" <dvd@lumbercartel.com>
To:             	DVD-Discuss <dvd-discuss@eon.law.harvard.edu>
Date sent:      	09 Oct 2002 21:35:39 -0700
Send reply to:  	dvd-discuss@eon.law.harvard.edu

> On Wed, 2002-10-09 at 08:58, John Zulauf wrote:
> > Michael A Rolenz wrote:
> > > as for the SGA...this is
> > > incredible! How often do these songs get played today? How many people
> > > know the tunes? I can say that I do only because the last two are one's that
> > > my parents still hum or sing because they learned them in their youth. But
> > > what an incredible Whine "OHHHHH alll this stuff will enter the public
> > > domain if you don't keep extending copyright and we can't have that even
> > > though some of you don't even know the tunes..."
> > 
> > Actually the counter argument to this is that the reason WHY nobody
> > knows these tunes (when we all should) IS long copyrights.  One of the
> > benefits of the public domain is that it act to make all people living
> > archivists.  Long copyrights mean that only corporations have the means
> > and opportunity to archive -- and aside from the occasional over-priced
> > "Time-Life" 19.95 per each disc/book/VHS/DVD series these self-same
> > corporations have little to no motivation.
> 
> One of the arguments that the Cartel advanced today (IIRC and
> IIUC) was that without exclusive distribution rights, nobody
> would distribute the old material at all.  Thus, the crucial
> importance of retroactive extension: it ensures distribution
> of material which would otherwise be unavailable.

From libraries...collectors...

> 
> In other words, if AOL Time Warner couldn't prevent others
> from distributing Casablanca, a great cultural treasure
> would be lost forever.
> 

Ah...yes..the source of all things...complete masters...when they deign to give 
you restored editions issued when they choose to give them...with the analog 
hole closed (or is that a**hole?)...you won't be able to take a master copy 
digitize it and put out your own....That whole argument is so stupid....they 
might as well begin burning films again as they did in the Nickelodeon era...
> Pardon me while I go out to pick up a copy of that
> watershed acoustic album, "Frummox."
> 
> -- 
> | It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance  |
> |  It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance  |
> |   It's the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give     |
> |    and the soul afraid of dyin' that never learns to live     |
> +------------- D. C. Sessions <dcs@lumbercartel.com> -----------+
>