Here's an article about Internet sharing of files and felonies based on the breaking of copyright legislation being introduced:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/940397.asp?vts=71820030327

My concern: If this law goes into effect, would we have a problem on AWAD, for example, in pasting files from web pages as we do, even though we give credit? Would we have to get permission from Merriam-Webster, for example?

This new law is the result of much hard work by the best legislators money has bought. The RIAA is now getting its paid lackeys on Capitol Hill to try to protect its gravy train. For USns, this may well mean that copying anything ever again becomes not worth the risk. Good luck.

well, this is more about music and video that gets downloaded, than it is about citing information from a site. I discuss this with my students frequently, and most don't understand that they are stealing from the artist(also from the publisher...) when they download mp3's. it is an interesting time for copyright law...
I was interested in this phrase, however, which I had never heard:

“The business of expanding the criminal law so that making unauthorized personal copies of copyrighted works becomes a criminal violation is overreacting six ways from Tuesday,” (emphasis added)

anybody know where that comes from?

I've heard "six ways from Sunday" which, while it alliterates, comes no closer to explaining the origin.

As far as copying from web pages, I think that simply providing a link to the web page should satisfy anyone worried about that.

As for stealing from the performer, some of them support the pirates on the theory that the recording companies are stealing from them more than the pirate could hope to.

well, this is more about music and video that gets downloaded, than it is about citing information from a site. I discuss this with my students frequently, and most don't understand that they are stealing from the artist(also from the publisher...) when they download mp3's.


What? You mention the artist? That's the one part of the equation the RIAA overlooks. I agree completely that the rampant P2P filesharing is threatening artists' livelihoods, and don't even have P2P software on my PC. What sticks in my gullet about the RIAA's crusade, though, is that it has nothing to do with rewarding artists for their creative ndeavours, and every thing to do with enriching bloated corporations devoid of any creativity. The large number of recording artists opposed to the RIAA's campaign is a good indicator of this. I've also heard good things about Apple's new iTunes initiative. What scares the RIAA is, not the idea of performing artists not getting paid for their work (there are ways for downloaders to pay the artist directly), it's the idea of its member companies losing their overly large slice of that pie. </rant>


P.S. The above rant is not entirely unrelated to words, either. The corporate stooges in the legislative and judicial branches of the US government have also voted to extend copyright yet again, which will impact on the distribution and copying of works that ought to be in the puublic domain by now.

well, you're right, of course, about the fees paid to artists, but downloading an album full of mp3's and then burning copies for all your friends, certainly does impact on the artist. it also leads to the other way that people steal from artists, buying a CD, and then burning copies for all their friends... it's those sorts of activities that I try to discourage my students from engaging in. it does give me a chance to talk with them about how little an artist receives from each sale...
yes, iTunes is cool! thankfully, I've locked up all my credit cards...

Perhaps "six ways from Sunday" carries a copyright?
Reminds me (sort of) of why they had to settle on "PMS"--because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.

Shoot it, kick it, stretch it, sue it, fortify it (and other formations!) ~ they’re all out there, but the most widely known form seems to be Beaten six ways from Sunday.

This does suggest the idea of a daily punishment spanning the entire week between services, even if not in the exact form suggested on TOWFI…

http://www.takeourword.com/TOW156/page4.html

now that was enlightening!