GOP Brief Attacks Current Copyright Law

cervesaebraciator writes "Regardless of how one feels about the GOP generally, it is always heartening to see current copyright and IP law questioned on a national stage. A Republican study committee, chaired by Ohio Representative Jim Jordan released a brief today titled Three Myths about Copyright Law and Where to Start to Fix it. Among other things, the brief attacks current copyright law as hampering scientific inquiry, penalizing journalism, and retarding the potential of the internet to allow the dispersion of knowledge through e-readers. In the briefs words, 'Current copyright law does not merely distort some markets – rather it destroys entire markets.' Four potential policy solutions are proposed: statutory damage reform, expansion of fair use, punishing false copyright claims, and limiting copyright terms. There may yet be hope for a national debate on the current oppressive copyright system, if just a fool's hope."

This is not that surprising ...

[DavidClarkeHR]

It seems the mitt-romney about-face attitude is changing the party from the inside - the GOP worrying about hampering scientific inquiry, [and] penalizing journalism. Next, you'll be telling me that they're also promoting women's rights and education.

Also, I would love for my sarcastic comments to be proven wrong.

Re:Holy Cow!

[keytoe]

That's a bit of a fine line, because what will often promote the progress of science and useful arts is compensating the people who produce useful work so they can produce more of it by devoting themselves full time to it. And if they are compensated more for producing more and better work, they are more likely to produce more and better work.

It's almost as if there should be some carefully balanced compromise that strikes a balance between rewarding content creators while remaining beneficial to society at large. Perhaps a limited monopoly could be granted to the creator for the work before it passes into the public domain for all to benefit.

Argghhhh!

[fyngyrz]

It is like watching theologists get angry over how many angels can dance on a head of a needle.

It's a PIN, you bloody heathen!

Van Gogh

[fyngyrz]

Let me enlighten you about Van Gogh's art and motivation using the traditional slashdot car analogy.

Van Gogh's finest art is functionally equivalent to NASCAR: 24 hours of continuously turning left, if done well, he hoped would result in a snuggle from a ring girl, specifically, Rachel. In order to enhance his left turns, he removed his left ear, thus creating a ground-hugging vacuum on the left and so enhancing his turning ability.

This made him quite dizzy; the result was "Starry Starry Night" [wikimedia.org], a veritable opus of left turns, which of course we now treat as a cultural treasure.

Alas, Rachel, who was left holding the ear, was not so easily impressed.

* There's gonna be a quiz tomorrow

Re:Credit where Credit is due.

[ignavus]

But you have to actually work at it—it's not enough to grouse about it on Slashdot.

Dang! That's my social activism career shot down in flames.