Richard Stallman's Lecture - Founder of GNU project

crashmeister · 09-28-2008, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H

And what if I have ? Nobody would know except the people involved. Unless it was a sting operation, but I don't think the cops would bother about it just yet, not the cops here especially.

And what about ripping music from streams or the radio ? Technically isn't that illegal ? But who would know ? Nobody but me. I should turn myself in.

Talking about what is legally permitted and what can be done is a different ballgame.

crashmeister · 09-28-2008, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unSpawn

But do for instance pharmaceutical companies invest $some_ludicrous_amount in research out of altruism? Or because a patent is of strategic value, allowing them to superficially creating market shortage and reap rewards in the order of ten times their investment? Is patent hogging a way to make sure we all may benefit from inventions or an investment, just another way to raise the market value of a certain company?

In Brasil the government pay for AIDS medication (which tends to be expensive I hear).Whoever got it doesn't need to pay zilch.

Why? Because the government pirated (to stay in character) the composition and doesn't (or didn't - there seems to be some negotiating) pay anything to the developers.

That might be a nice move for people that would die for sure if they had to pay or rely on the lousy health care providers BUT I tend to think if the world would rely on the Brazilians to come up with a medication themselves it would be much less crowded.

H_TeXMeX_H · 09-28-2008, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crashmeister

Talking about what is legally permitted and what can be done is a different ballgame.

You bet it is. And really until a law is actively applied it isn't really a law at all.

ErV · 09-28-2008, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crashmeister

I am talking about end-users.

Books are material, and can't be copied that easily. So I have no issues with 75years payment for them.

But anything in electronic form (music, software (especially software), story in the book) isn't "material" and can be copied almost effortlessly. So I think that stallman wastes time with books. Some law is needed that could define sane rules for objects in electronic form, no need to touch books publishing rules.