From: evard@antares.mcs.anl.gov (Remy Evard)
Subject: Re: Postings on sci.virtual-worlds and Copyright Protection
Date: 6 Aug 91 23:09:08
Organization: Math & Computer Science Divison, ANL



deadman%garnet.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Ben Haller) writes:

> This really needs a lawyer to post.  My main point is: it's a complex
>issue, and probably the best idea of all is: if you want to retain the
>rights to an idea, don't post it.

What are "rights to an idea"?  If you have the "rights to an idea", does
that mean that it's against the law for me to think of the same idea?
Or improve on your idea?  How can anyone own an idea?

(Some of the American Indians asked a similar question: how can anyone
own the land?  They lost.  Hope it's not a foreshadow of our future.)

I'm not arguing with you or your wording, I'm just pointing out what I 
feel some of the flaws are in our braindead copyright/patent system.

This whole issue is going to be *very* relevant to VR in the near future,
if it isn't already.  (Didn't I just hear of a VPL patent on some 
graphics algorithm?  :-( )  I can just imagine 5 years from now when I'm
jacked into the matrix.  I enter a virtual world that I haven't been in
before, and at some point, I pass a virtual mirror (or somesuch) and see
a representation of myself.  And there on my forehead, where I least
expect it, it says "This world and all contents, animate or inanimate,
copyright ACME 1996".  After all, a virtual body is just an idea, right?

There was a panel at Siggraph dedicated to this topic, in relation to 
programming in general, not VR.  (Richard Stallman and John Barlow were 
both going to be there, so I knew I couldn't miss it... Unfortunately, 
Stallman didn't show up.  It was still worth it.)  Interestingly enough, 
the audience and the panelists were all in general agreement - the copyright 
& patent system in the US is broken.  The only beneficiaries are the lawyers.
Some interesting questions with regards to VR were raised.  Nothing was 
resolved.  If anyone is interested, I have some scattered notes that I took, 
and would be willing to post them.

  -r'm     (Keep your lawyers off my computer!)

Re'my Evard 
Overworked Grad Student, CS Dept, U of Oregon        remy@cs.uoregon.edu
Support Staff , MCS Division, Argonne National Labs    evard@mcs.anl.gov
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