Richard Stallman at GGG
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Wednesday 13 August 2008
2:30pm - 5:00pm
SORRY - FULL HOUSE!
Copyright vs Community in the Age of Computer Networks
"The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying for draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers, while suppressing public access to technology. But if we seriously hope to serve the only legitimate purpose of copyright--to promote progress, for the benefit of the public--then we must make changes in the other direction."
Richard Stallman, of GNU.org and the Free Software Foundation is at GGG on 13th August and will be speaking on Copyright vs Community in the Age of Computer Networks - join UP for a lively discussion on copyright from 3-5pm in the Level 2 Council Chambers, Wellington Town Hall, 111 Wakefield Street, Wellington, New Zealand. Doors open at 2.30pm.
Whether you are creating content, uploading it to share, or making policy, come join us to discuss the issues, and think some different thoughts.
Stallman launched the development of the GNU operating system (see www.gnu.org) in 1984. GNU is free software: everyone has the freedom to copy it and redistribute it, as well as to make changes either large or small. The GNU/Linux system, basically the GNU operating system with Linux added, is used on tens of millions of computers today. Stallman has received the ACM Grace Hopper Award, a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Pioneer award, and the the Takeda Award for Social/Economic Betterment, as well as several honorary doctorates.
See also http://www.fsf.org/events/20080813wellington/
*To ensure a space at the Stallman seminar, and refreshments, please fill in your details on the RSVP form above, and note your RSVP number. There is no charge for attendees, but space is strictly limited. If you are also attending Gadgets, Games and Geeks 2008 directly afterwards, you must RSVP separately on the GGG event page. Registration for the two events is separate, and a badge for both is required if you want to view GGG from 5:00 pm.
Online NZ RMS News and Links
NZ scheduled events
FSF event listing
Geekzone: Foobar blog entry.
Geekzone: Wellington event hosts free software advocate Richard Stallman
Green Party giving a plug.
NZOSS on Richard Stallman Tour
Computerworld > Free Software leader slams NZ copyright
TALO: Discussion and international interest in stream
RMS mentions us in Stockholm.
RMS in Dunedin 2006 [Video]
PCWorld Blog announcement.
Thanks to Simon Bridge for compiling the list
There will be a Free Software Foundation stand at the Gadgets, Games and Geeks event (after the seminar). Copies of Richard Stallmans' book 'Free Software, Free Society' will be available to purchase (cash only) and further information and contact cards for FSF will be available.
If you intend to stay for GGG, please ensure you have RSVPd for a badge at the GGG event page. All people without a badge for GGG are asked to finish networking and leave the venue by 5:30 pm - as we are very restricted on numbers permitted in the venue.
A/V recordings
The event may be recorded by Unlimited Potential - both audio and video, depending on event sponsorship. Participants are welcome to photograph or record the event as long as they make the media available without restrictions. Let UP know via pix at UP.org.nz if you have anything you can share. Recordings or streams will be linked from this page. Open formats such as OGG for audio and video are requested.
Question time
Richard will be answering questions and audience participation will be encouraged at the event. Please submit your specific questions below - and we will submit them for discussion. Questions must be submitted prior to the event, and may be merged or edited for length, as we will be limited for time.
Post your comment
Comments
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My question is in regard to GNU/Linux in embedded devices. It is common these days for Routers or other devices to be built upon a GNU/Linux OS. Often these companies don't release the source, and when they do release the source they don't include the Cross Development Kit (CDK) to allow you to compile code on the Routers or the Toolchain. Yes the code may be "free", however it is in effect useless since there is no way to compile code for the router, and no way to create the image required to be uploaded to the router. Are there plans within future GPL releases to cover this situation.
Posted by Peter Lambrechtsen, 09/08/2008 8:05pm (5 months ago)
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Two questions for Richard Stallman:
1) In November 2007 the GPLv3 was finalised ... my question is whether there have there been any loopholes discovered since then? Another way of asking this is: what would you suggest putting into a GPLv4?
2) With cloud computing and Software as a Service and other ways of describing networked computing do you
due you see the GPL becoming less popular than the AGPL? Also do you think that developers understand when to use each license?
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And I'll have a go at Aditya Prateek Anand question because it's interesting (and perhaps a little ambiguous): If you mean complexity due to the number of authors then there are parallels with movies where there may be thousands of people to give credit to. If however you mean that software can be evolved over generations into new creatures that bare little resemblance to their primitive beginnings then that's a simple question of copyright law (the limits of copyright after many derivations) and politeness (whether it feels appropriate to give credit).Posted by Matthew Holloway, 01/08/2008 4:12pm (5 months ago)
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In the free software world, is attribution of credit to the person who has done some specific work valid? If yes, then how would that work where everything can morph into a thousand directions so quickly?
Posted by Aditya Prateek Anand, 01/08/2008 12:16pm (5 months ago)
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Hi Richard,
I think there are a couple of ways of thinking about that question.
The less-than 1% of copyright holders still making money on works made before 1940 can opt-out and release their works into the public domain, however as the law assumes restrictions by default then we we're getting far fewer works like Shakespeare that we can build upon without permission. So we get plays like The Maori Merchant of Venice but we don't get modern equivalents like (for example) Maori Star Trek or Harry Potter mixed with Maori myth. The way that we build upon Shakespeare could be done for modern relevant content. If copyright only lasted 10 years or if copyright holders had to pay $1 to retain copyright every year this would of course change things. So you can imagine that many scenarios where the law's default rules matter in that they encourage one result or another.
Secondly, stopping non-profit file sharing (eg, YouTube, Torrenting) is impossible. It's a complete failure -- it just can't work. Also most musical artists get (something like) 4% of the profit of a CD -- artists are getting ripped off. We need to work out a better scheme based on unrestricted non-profit sharing and a way of paying artists -- perhaps in the way that Radiohead and NIN do by giving the content away free but by asking for payment. This has resulted in more money for Radiohead.
Richard Stallman may be answering your question more directly at around 4:30 in this youtube video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IoP_bwvdRnQPosted by Matthew Holloway, 31/07/2008 12:48pm (5 months ago)
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If content creators want more people to use their material and use it in more ways then the content creators are generally free to licence that. Creative Commons gives a big choice. Whay do you see a need therefore, to loosed up a copyright law that allows creaters of content that choice already? BTW I mainly advise educational users of copyright so am in favour of maximum legal use of copyright material.
Posted by Richard Niven, 29/07/2008 8:07am (5 months ago)
