Faisel E R S Altawheed

Professor Klepper

English 113A

10th October 2013

The Enemy of Societal Advancement

            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.