Re: all this copyright stufff

["Colleen Dancer (02) 333-1862" <DANCER -dot- COLLEEN -at- A2 -dot- ABC -dot- NET -dot- AU>]

Lise Hansen wrote:

Even forwarding a message to a co-worker is a copyright infringement
because you have made a copy without the author's permission.
<end quote>

This is what annoys me about the law, absolutely useless for everday
situations regarding the internet.  For example we are a group of 10
technical communicators and it is a waste of time for all of us to be on
the list.  So I read, and distill the useful stuff for our group.  So I
quote (Yes I give your names), summarise and add my edits to give a short
useful document for the rest of the staff.  In some ways I feel its like
lending books I do it all the time and don't consider that is breaking
copyright (This could be my misunderstanding, but if the law doesn't like
it then I would suggest the law is out of line with the community).

If people start claiming copyright infringements for information
broadcast on the net on mailing lists then guess what, the internet just
died. Most of its benefits just went out the window.  I am happy for my
posts to be used by other people, in their workplace, if they were going
to quote me in a commercial venture (eg book) I would appreciate them
asking first.  Sometimes we worry so much about copyright it gets in the
way of sharing and learning.

Please note this note does not imply that I think that all copyright is a
waste of time, I firmly believe it has its place. However I suggest that
we might be going overboard.


Colleen Dancer
dancer -dot- colleen -at- a2 -dot- abc -dot- net -dot- au

The opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.