The New Copyright Laws

The public is being strangled by corporate, government, and criminal interests who seek to remove the right of individuals to acquire and use information. Instead, the new Wild West is one in which fast buck artists claim "rights" on all kinds of "intellectual property" and then sit on it to collect rents, all in the name of making society more competitive and prosperous. But in reality this is creating a world in which ideas are squashed.

Here's a wonderful example of the new world of "copyright" protection used for nefarious purposes:

Former South Dakota State Rep. Ted Alvin Klaudt -- presently serving time for raping his two foster daughters -- is sending bizarre "copyright notices" from prison to news agencies and outlets that use his name in print or online, claiming a "common law copyright" on his name and demanding $500,000 for any unauthorized use.

From a posting by Cory Doctorow.

One of the nuttier things I've read is the fact that Oregon has "copyrighted" its laws. This makes it illegal for its citizens to make a copy of the laws to inform themselves about the law. Why doesn't Oregon go whole hog and simply make the laws secret and protect them with a death penalty? That way the lords of the land can do as they please and simply argue that "This is the law!" and nobody would be the wiser.

If you want to know more about this ghastly conspiracy to remove rights from individuals in favour of corporations, governments, and sociopaths, then follow the writings of Michael Geist.