Landing : Athabascau University

Comments on a new report "Theft of American Intellectual Property"

This is a new report "Theft of American Intellectual Property" Available: http://ipcommission.org/report/IP_Commission_Report_052213.pdf
If anyone had doubts about the need for OER in learning environments, this report should help put discussion about sustainability and other OER problems in perspective. The Publishers are now proposing the use of spyware and ransom-ware to combat infringement. (They disingeneously use the word "theft" rather than the proper legal term "infringement"). These will be the next version of digital locks - if you thought they were bad now just wait!

In the proposed scenario, if someone accesses your paid for content other than yourself (inadvertently or not) the content could be rendered inaccessible AND/OR your computer could be locked down. Or, they could retrieve the content without your permission (As Amazon did with the book 1984!  -- ironically Orwellian). Or other forms of malware could be introduced to your computer. They suggest photographing the alleged "infringer" using his/her own camera, and even physically disabling or destroying the users' network.

Cory Doctorow writes:
"It's just more evidence that copyright enforcers' network strategies are indistinguishable from those used by dictators and criminals. In 2011, the MPAA told Congress that they wanted SOPA and knew it would work because it was the same tactic used by governments in "China, Iran, the UAE, Armenia, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Burma, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam." Now they've demanded that Congress legalize an extortion tool invented by organized criminals."
http://boingboing.net/2013/05/26/us-entertainment-industry-to-c.html

Rory

Comments

  • I found it difficult to get beyond the "you have got to be kidding" stage in reading the "Theft of American Intellectual Property". I thought it was particularly interesting that otherwise illegal tactics (eg. obtain control of someone's network without their authorization) should be allowed by certain private parties (copyright owners).

    Was there a decision on what model AU will use for OER sustainability? It was my impression that if separating relationship from content was percieved as unacceptable in keeping with the OER philosophy.

    Eric von Stackelberg June 2, 2013 - 12:29pm

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