[LINK] Freedom of Expression (TM)

[Viveka]

At 8:13 AM +1000 6/2/03, Michael Lean wrote:
>Does anyone remember a SF story - probably the 1960s - set in a 
>world where copyright inspectors walked around with listening 
>devices strapped to their bodies, and eavesdropped on conversations. 
>If you were heard to use a copyrighted word, the cash register went 
>"ding" and the inspector put out his hand for payment.
>If anyone can recall this, I'd appreciate a source, as I want to use 
>it in a presentation.

Sounds like Philip K. Dick to me, but I can't find it. Here are some others:

Here's the full text of a copyright-extension sci-fi story by Spider 
Robinson, written in the 80s:
http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200011/0671319744___1.htm

Although ironically on another list (snuggles) I hear:
>>Good ol' Spider had another one of his regular columns in the (Toronto)
>>Globe and Mail recently. He was commenting about the copyright
>>extension judgment, arguing that those who opposed the extension were
>>stealing from his grandchildren. He argued that copyright terms should
>>be even longer, instead of being shortened.

A pithy (one-paragraph) story on licensing:
http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/fire.html

A short story by Richard Stallman, involving copyright police:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html

An application of software licensing to the physical world:
http://wearcam.org/seatsale/index.htm

And not fiction, but some great words from the beginning of copyright:
http://www.baen.com/library/palaver4.htm

V.

-- 
Viveka Weiley, Karmanaut.
{ http://www.karmanaut.com | http://www.planet-earth.org
    http://www.MacWeb3D.org | http://sydney.siggraph.org.au }
Hypermedia, virtual worlds, human interface, truth, beauty.