AAP Worried About Obama Presidency

By Jane On October 25, 2008 · 6 Comments · In Publishing News · Tagged With: AAP, Copyright, Lawrence Lessig, politics, Publishers

While most of the literati seem firmly in Obama’s camp, the AAP sent out a warning about what an Obama presidency could mean for publishing (bad, in other words).

AP is concerned, for example, that based on their past academic relationship, Senator Obama might choose among his appointments a divisive figure such as Larry Lessig – a law professor and leading proponent of diminished copyright rights.

I am a big fan of Lawrence Lessig and diminished copyright rights myself.

Tagged with: AAP • Copyright • Lawrence Lessig • politics • Publishers

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Jane

Jane is a long time romance reader whose passion is, you guessed it, reading. She's currently loving contemporary authors like Sarah Mayberry and Karina Bliss but her first love will always be the historical. Some of her old time favorites are Amanda Quick and Johanna Lindsey and some of the new favorites are Sherry Thomas, Joanna Bourne and Claudia Dain. You can reach Jane by email at jane @ dearauthor dot com

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6 Responses to AAP Worried About Obama Presidency

Randi says:

October 25, 2008 at 1:19 pm

Jane, can you explain what is meant by ‘diminished copyright rights’?
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whey says:

October 25, 2008 at 1:31 pm

Senator Obama might choose among his appointments a divisive figure such as Larry Lessig

Stop getting me excited. Next you’ll be talking about whacky suggestions to bring back the Constitution.
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Jane says:

October 25, 2008 at 2:42 pm

@Randi – Lessig, along with some other thinkers on this topic believe that the current application of copyright is overbroad and serves to limit creativity and advancement of the arts instead promoting it as the Constitution charges. The DMCA is an example of that in some people’s minds. So I think that the AAP is worried about a rolling back of copyright protection, as it is applied, to allow more freedom within, perhaps, derivative works. That’s my guess, at least.
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jmc says:

October 25, 2008 at 6:32 pm

I’m reading Lessig’s Free Culture right now. Lessig’s potential as an Obama appointee…pleases me a lot.
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SonomaLass says:

October 25, 2008 at 6:53 pm

Jane, you are such a tease! You’re getting our hopes up….
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Lynne says:

October 26, 2008 at 12:43 am

Wow. If people like those guys and, say, the RIAA don’t like Obama, that’s yet another good sign, IMO.

I think their worry is silly, really. They’ll cling to their aging business models as long as they can, and the smartest among them will evolve into something a little more 21st century.
Reply