Fwd: Please Stand Against the New Copyright Bill

[Colin McGregor]

On 8/26/08, Scott C. Ripley <scott-VK/PCEBaDz+N9aS15agKxg at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> Ken,
>
> as an author of a book...
>
> are you fine with someone making (or do you make?) an electronic copy
> freely available?
>
> Scott

While not a book author, I have written a number of articles for
publication. In my case generally yes, electronic copies of my
articles are freely available for download and I am fine with that.

In the case of the items I have done for Linux Journal, the articles
appear in the print edition of the magazine, and is then made
available on-line to registered subscribers of the magazine. One month
after the article appears in print the electronic version is made
available to all for free. Between the subscription fees and
advertising carried in the magazine/website there are some $$ to pay
me, and the editor / staff at the magazine. There are people who like
to be able to read the print off paper and are willing to pay a few $
for that option. Everyone is more-or-less happy.

So, a limited time exclusive right for the authors/publishers is
great, and that is what was provided for in the old copyright laws.
What we have here with the proposed copyright law is changing a time
limited right to a perpetual law, which in my view is wrong on several
levels...


Colin McGregor
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