Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Who owns what parts of your webpage?

Author:Jeremy Bowers
Posted:9/1/1999; 12:25:53 PM
Topic:Who owns what parts of your webpage?
Msg #:10420 (In response to 10415)
Prev/Next:10419 / 10421

No, of course it isn't new. I daresay the new world where there is no distinction between publishing, distributing, copying, and consumption does rate some re-evaluation of old concepts that is disturbingly not occurring.

OK, "no" distinction may be a smidge too strong. But there is very, very little: calling up a web page, esp. a dynamic one (note: copyright creators had no concept of "dynamic content"... never existed before) is publication by the owner, distribution by the owner, copying by the user (and several nodes in between, possibly including caches at varying levels), and consumption by the user. Normally, first you need to publish content, then distribute it, and then the user consumes it. Copying never really figures into it from the user's point of view.

As a result of this smearing, a lot of people are pulling digital stunts that they would never imagine they could pull in the real world (example: There is no [known to me] coherent metaphor describing [accurately!] web annotation in a manner that would be allowed in the real world. Yet it is being done.).

I appreciate the suggestion of reading material. I see the library has it, perhaps I'll check it out and try to read the relevent areas. Thanks!

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