Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Copyright vs Free Speech


Just heard from Steve Gibson on Security Now ep. 69:

Steve: Well, for example, it’s certainly arguable that you cannot have free speech without anonymity. Because people will simply be...

Leo: Intimidated.

Steve: They will be less – yes, intimated, exactly, and less willing to speak freely if they know that there are consequences to what they could say. I have to say, Leo, I have been self-conscious sending some political email, like post 9/11, knowing that the United States government has become much more aggressive about scanning email. When I use hot terms and keywords and things, I find myself thinking, literally, my behavior is modified because I don’t want a false-positive. I’m no terrorist. I’m a patriot and all that. But still it’s just like you just get a little twitchy when you think that what you’re saying could be triggering some automated system somewhere.
(...)
Steve: And the other issue is one of copyright. And it’s interesting how copyright comes into this because the enforcement of copyright, that is, the actual enforcement of it, requires monitoring communications. That’s how copyright is enforced is you’re monitoring communication. But free speech, as we have said, cannot be guaranteed in an environment where there is monitored communications. So just logically that demonstrates that you cannot simultaneously have both freedom of speech and the enforcement of copyright.

Very interesting point: you cannot have both freedom of speech and copyright. Comments would be very welcome on this issue.

1 comment:

Shawn J. Stewart said...

Ideas of the Great are marinated by the Mediocre to ease consumption by the zeal of the Lesser. Rinse and repeat, regurgitate and re-digest. Now everyone knows the words to the song. Sing with gusto. Sing as if you believe it. Sing to the death of individuality and independence. Because I am afraid there is no where left on the Earth to hide.


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