COPYCENSE

As reported in SNTReport.com recently, BayTSP announced FirstSource, an automated system that identifies the first users to upload copyright or trademark-protected content to P2P file sharing networks.

SNTReport.com also reported the legal and monetary issues surrounding documentary filmmaker’s inability to broadcast or sell copies of  Eyes on the Prize.

"The two news items offer a nice pair of brackets in which to frame the current state of copyright affairs. On the one hand, the public is denied the opportunity to view one of the most compelling histories of modern American life produced in the last 30 years because copyright restrictions make it financially unfeasible to broadcast it. On the other hand, actual copyright violation continues unabated, giving rise to an entire market niche devoted to the task of stamping it out. Is there any way to look at this situation in which it is not a complete mess?"

"The tragedy that a socially enriching documentary series like ‘Eyes on the Prize’ might fall victim to a copyright snafu seems like the kind of thing that could be addressed by selective tweaking of copyright laws. Perhaps a waiver for materials deemed ‘educational’ or a weakening of restrictions on the protections granted to archival footage. When do the benefits to society from increased access to information outweigh the financial interests of those who own the copyrights? In an ideal world, this is the kind of question that a democratic society could debate and answer to its own satisfaction."

"But we do not live in an ideal world. We live in a world where lobbyists for entertainment corporations routinely get the laws rewritten to serve their own profit-seeking special interests, and where trend lines reveal that copyright protections are only increased, never weakened."

Andrew Leonard. Eyes on Your Copyrighted Prize. Salon. Jan. 5, 2005.

(Editor�s Note: Salon.com normally requires a paid subscription, but you can view articles if you register for a free day pass.)

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