freedom of coders = freedom for everyone
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| Author | Content |
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| tbuitenh Jun 09, 2006 1:25 AM EDT |
In the context of cyberspace, you could have whatever laws you liked, but unless the architecture supports or enables them then they're meaningless." This insight - that computer code (the "architecture") can function as a kind of law in the online world - lies at the heart of Lessig's first book, Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace. As he soon realised, "the most interesting context for that was intellectual property", because there were examples of code trumping law - notably digital rights management. ... and the only way to stop DRM is to use libre software, since DRM implemented in libre software can be changed so that the restrictions are removed. Free culture depends on free software, and having rights and restrictions depend on the law instead of what some programmer creates depends on free software too. Free software is not about freedom of coders, it actually removes the "freedom to take away freedom". It is all about freedom for everyone. |
| Libervis Jun 09, 2006 4:53 AM EDT |
Well said tbuitenh. I think it is dangerous to somehow assume (and then promote that false asumption) that Free Culture is somehow a separate thing from Free Software and even that it is somehow more significant. Maybe Lessig sees only works of art and creativity as "culture" therefore having it exclude other works such as software, but I think that the software too can be a kind of art. But still, even if it is not an actual part of this art culture, software is the architecture that can either allow this culture to be free or restrict it. To say that computer code (the "architecture") can function as a kind of law in the online world and then say that Free Culture is going to be a more significant movement than the free software movement is in my view pretty contradictory. The free code (the "architecture") is what needs to enable the Free Culture to exist. Free Culture needs Free Software: [url=http://www.libervis.com/smartsection item.itemid 97.htm]http://www.libervis.com/smartsection item.itemid 97.htm[/url] Thanks Danijel |
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