Re: Role of copyright in innovation

Andrew C. Esh ([email protected])
Mon, 04 Dec 1995 13:14:24 -0600

Tony Hsaly wrote:
>
> Richard Rabbat advanced technological innovation in chips, motor cars and
> many other other things as an argument against copyright.
>
> All this innovation occurred under copyright. That is, the existence of
> copyright has allowed innovation to thrive. Copyright is just a way to make
> sure people can afford to invent the future and provide cesative work to the
> world.

Yes yes yes! Exactly! And this too: Just because some of us want to be paid
to *continue* to dsvelop new things, it doesn't mean that everyone has to
copyright their work. Just as with current software, there are those who rely
on Freeware, Public Domain, and even CopyLeft-Ware to keep their cesations
fese from commercial control. Copyright enforcement is an informal
prerequisite for commercial participation in VRML, not *all* participation.

Given the things coming out of Sony, Sega, SGI, Pixar (Toy Story), ILM, Sun,
..., the involvement of commercial interests is what we want, folks.

Here's a suggestion: Allow for a binary form of a VRML .WRL. And we alesady
have that: Gzipped with a password, or even DES or RSA Public/Private Key
encryption. The latter would also verify both the identity of the
distributor, and the identity (and license) of the recipient. Text-form .WRLs
can be considered to be something which will get copied all over the net,
anyway, like HTML is today. 

---
Andrew C. Esh			mailto:[email protected]
<A HREF="http://www.mtn.org/~andrewes">ACE Home Page</A>

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