Oct 25 2008
AAP Worried About Obama Presidency
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.
Related posts:
- The Political Elites and Their Book Income
- University of Michigan Weighs in on Fair Use, Copyright and Google Bookscanning
- Stanford Law Professors to Lead Defense Against JK Rowling Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
- Publisher’s Exclusive Arrangement with Amazon Comes With Price
- Gwen Ifil’s Soon to be Published Book Causing Tizzy
Oct 25, 2008 @ 13:19:10
Jane, can you explain what is meant by ‘diminished copyright rights’?
Oct 25, 2008 @ 13:31:09
Stop getting me excited. Next you’ll be talking about whacky suggestions to bring back the Constitution.
Oct 25, 2008 @ 14:42:59
@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.
Oct 25, 2008 @ 18:32:11
I’m reading Lessig’s Free Culture right now. Lessig’s potential as an Obama appointee…pleases me a lot.
Oct 25, 2008 @ 18:53:54
Jane, you are such a tease! You’re getting our hopes up….
Oct 26, 2008 @ 00:43:08
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.