Professor Klepper
English 113A
10th October 2013
In prehistoric times, lack of
communication and sharing ideas was one
of the most obvious physical limitations to the evolution of societies. The
world was in a slow developing phase because everybody had to start from scratch
without resources. Over time, communication and sharing ideas improved as
technology advanced, and with the creation of the internet the world has experienced
a dramatic change in the way communication takes place. It has become much
easier for inventors to benefit from the trial and error of others in order to
innovate with new technology. Sharing leads to success; it's the reason for the
current world state of the world. However, a problem rose in 1710 that
prohibited the ways the internet allows for rapid, widespread communication and
using others’ ideas without permission; this is called copyright. Copyright is
an exclusive right given by the law for a certain term of years to an author or
designer to print, publish, and sell copies of his original work (Simpson). In order to form a new understanding
of sharing that is beneficial for the world, governments should remove the shackles
from the communication that technology makes possible by waving away copyright laws
or fundamentally change the way they function.
If I asked, "What do you know
about copyrights?" most people will immediately associate the word in positive
ways that protects people’s ideas by not allowing other people to copy their
work. They are only secondary, and from a mature perspective, we should
consider the alternative, the negative side of copyright. Copyright is
immobilizing the communication that has the power to further develop technology
by not allowing others beside the innovator to use or to share it. In addition,
it is deterring the use of benefits that come with the creative work itself.
It is true that copyrights will create
profits for the individual or the company by making their ideas exclusive, but
it is also true that copyright may affect the development of the world. In the
year 1450, Gutenberg had invented the printing press; it is a mechanical device
or a machine for printing (Simpson). That innovation had a great impact on the
European society. Its immediate affect was the quick spread of accurate information,
which helped scientists share their ideas throughout Europe to achieve new
inventions. Imagine if in the year 1450 Europe had strict copyright laws, where
nobody was allowed to print or share someone else’s idea without permission, or
let’s assume that Gutenberg had exclusive rights to the printing press and used
it to his individual advantage to make money. The world would not be what it is
right now.
While some people believe that the
printing press is the greatest invention that occurred between the creation of writing
itself and the Internet, Internet technology has exceeded the printing press as
a communication method for sharing information. It has granted the user the
ability to send and receive digital files as pictures, music, and movies across
continents effortlessly. However, this action is considered illegal by
copyright laws, and it is called Piracy. During the printing press age, it
would not make sense if copying a paper was illegal because it belonged to
someone else. People were benefiting from what others had. Books were published
everywhere that helped in creating a wider, literate, reading public because
the main priority was to benefit the society.
The companies who are misusing the
copyrights are selfish. They could help the world by letting others build upon
what they have already achieved. As an example of the abuse of copyright, they
could turn off a website with a takedown regime without filing a federal
copyright infringement complaint (Pallas 749). Instead of being afraid of
competitors and giving them too much credit, businesses must believe that there
is enough out there for them and for their competition. The more you share and
help others, the more you learn. In addition, even though the competition tried
to copy their work, they would not execute it the way that the original company
does. Ray Kroc (McDonald’s owner) once said, “Competition can try to steal my
plans and copy my style. But they cannot read my mind; so I will leave them a
mile and half behind."
Copyright
was made to benefit society and protect the innovator’s motivation to create.
However, with the advent of the Internet, it does not fit in its current form,
and it is being misused to protect personal businesses. It is repressing and
hardening the process of new innovators applying their new creative ideas by
forcing them to take permission from the previous inventor, who usually refuses
for personal reasons.
When the printing press in Western
Europe was invented, it faced resistance from some organized groups. While they
initially succeeded in delaying its adoption, 30 years later there were over
110 printing presses operating throughout Europe (Cosgel 365). The same idea is
being repeated with copyrights and the Internet. Governments are trying to
prevent creative works on the Internet from being freely shared by applying
copyright laws. However, the numbers of files that are being shared illegally throughout
the Internet are uncountable, and it is likely to become legal to share those
documents in the future.
Several companies and associations
are hopelessly trying to prevent the inevitable destiny of the Internet and
file sharing by making misguided moves. As an example, “In September 2003, the
RIAA [Recording Industry Association of America] sued 261 individuals—including
a twelve-year-old girl living in public housing and a seventy-year-old man who
had no idea what file sharing was." In addition, the RIAA has charged an
individual with $15,000,000 in damages (Lessig 200). The people being sued are
innocent, and the charges being demanded are ridiculous. Those actions prove
that the RIAA does not know exactly how to stop the file sharing activity.
A new upcoming technology that may change the world, and would face
resistance from different groups is called the 3D printer. A 3D printer allows
the user to create a three dimensional object by laying down successive layers
of materials. This technology is more affordable and easier to use than other
manufacturing technologies. This invention combined with the Internet will
allow any user around the world to create numerous tools and products just by
downloading the digital design file. It will also allow the people who cannot
have access to medicine in Africa to print their own tiny drug factory (Jones
23).
It has become routine for Internet users to copy an image or
graphic and then adjust and print it for personal use. In the near future,
people could easily load a design file of an IKEA table from the Internet to print
out a replacement for a broken chair. In addition, people may be able to adjust
the design to suit their needs. Try to imagine how much easier life would be
for the whole world with this technology. Unfortunately, these actions are
considered illegal by copyright laws, and the users may get sued. The
government’s current concerns about copying and sharing music or videos through
the Internet would be meaningless when compared to the copyright violations
that will be associated with the spread of 3D printers.
Decades ago, technology had reached
a point where what we considered science fiction became commonplace. Unfortunately,
we cannot experience the full benefit of the new technology and creative works
because of copyright laws and personal interests. Technology is
developing so fast, and applying the old copyright laws on this modern
technology and the creative works it makes the possible impossible. Trying to
force that will just produce a poor result that will not accomplish anything
for law or for technology. Governments and companies should reconsider the
copyright laws and think about the future. Copyrights are not fitting our
present landscape of sharing and definitely will not fit the future.
Works Cited
Cosgel, Metin M.,
et al. "The political economy of mass printing: Legitimacy and
technological change in the Ottoman Empire." Journal of Comparative Economics
40.3 (2012): 357-371. EBSCO. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.
Jones, Nicola. "The
print revolution: three-dimensional printers are opening up new worlds to
research." Nature 487.7405 (2012): 22+. General OneFile.
Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
Lessig, Lawrence. Free
Culture. New York: Penguin Group, 2004. Print.
Pallas, Lydia.
"Deterring Abuse of the Copyright Takedown Regime by Taking
Misrepresentation Claims Seriously." EBSCO 46.4 (2011): 745. EBSCO.
Web. 24 Sept. 2013.
Simpson, John.
"copyright, n." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University
Press, 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.
Simpson, John.
"printing press, n." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford
University Press, 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.
