15-07-2005 06:17									#1
	Richard Stallman throws a fit trying to "make Canada respect human rights" Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

This guy's always been a bit of a nut, and he doesn't hold anything back...

http://stallman.org/

Edit: Link now contains a Harry Potter spoiler, so don't click if you care.

quote: Canadians have been ordered not to read books that were sold to them "by mistake" . Read that article, then don't buy any Harry Potter books. Everyone who participated in requesting, issuing, enforcing, or trying to excuse this injunction is the enemy of human rights in Canada, and they all deserve to pay for their part in it. Not buying these books will at least make the publisher pay. Unlike the publisher, who demands that people not read these books, I simply call on people not to buy them. If you wish to read them, wait, and you will meet someone who did get a copy. Borrow that copy--don't buy one. Even better, read something else--there are plenty of other books just as good, or (dare we suggest) even better. Making Canada respect human rights will be hard, but a good first step is to identify the officials and legislators who do not support them. Any official who is not outraged by this injunction does not deserve to be in office. By the way, if anyone contacts me anonymously giving me some of the plot information that these Canadians have been forbidden to read in the books they bought, I will post the information. I am not a Harry Potter fan, and I would not have greatly minded whether I learned the plot of this book tomorrow, Saturday, next year, or never; but when governments spit on human rights, humans must protest. I suggest that anyone wishing to leak this information call me at +1-617-253-8830 from a pay phone.

Go Richard Stallman -- crusader for all things important.

	15-07-2005 06:23									#2
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

Wait, huh? What the hell is he talking about?

	15-07-2005 06:25									#3
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Stallman is an egomaniac with a cult following. He says things outrageous and off the wall with frightening consistency.

He basically built a cult/religion out of his belief that all software should be free, period.

He's the one in the center:

	15-07-2005 06:27									#4
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quote: Originally posted by Asher Stallman is an egomaniac with a cult following. He says things outrageous and off the wall with frightening consistency. He basically built a cult/religion out of his belief that all software should be free, period.

Uh oh, I see where this is going...

	15-07-2005 06:28									#5
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quote: Originally posted by DRoseDARs Wait, huh? What the hell is he talking about?

A store sold the Harry Potter book early; Canadian judge said they can't disclose the plot information before the book is released on its scheduled date. This = OMFG TEH HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATED

	15-07-2005 10:18									#6
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Well, technically he's right: The judge is infringing on his right to practice TEH WITCHCRAFT!!1 TOEMFG!!1

	15-07-2005 10:42									#7
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Stallman's crazy.

Not all people who support FSF are.

	15-07-2005 10:43									#8
	Put an end to popups!

Though, the FSF movement does have some crazy doozies... like Asher's favorite Chinaman.

Favorite Chinaman on this board not me, anyway.

	15-07-2005 14:36									#9
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Asher posting a photo completely out of context :
( As a note to those who don't know it , RMS himself runs a religion called "The Church of EMACS" , with its own website , which is a parody of the FSF and its ideals )

RMS' behaviour at this point :
( The state should not interfere in a private transaction of this nature . Rowling sold her copyrights to Scholastic , they sold it to the Canadian publisher , the Canadian publisher sold it ( the book ) to the bookstore , and the bookstpre fessed up by selling it to a customer . The problems that occur due to that are to be sorted out between Scholastic , the Canadian publisher , and the bookstore owner , and not the Courts or the customers . The customers are perfectly within their rights to do with the book as they please ( except , of course , violate its copyright ) . Posting that spoiler was what earned him that )

Lot of other work that RMS has done :

	15-07-2005 16:42									#10
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The injunction is stupid. How the hell are they supposed to check if the buyers read them before they are "allowed" to do it? Only sheep follow stupid laws or crap like this. No one should tell me what I can read, and what I canīt! Stallman has a point in this. But I thought the spoiler was a bit uncalled for

	15-07-2005 17:08									#11
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quote: Originally posted by aneeshm RMS' behaviour at this point : ( The state should not interfere in a private transaction of this nature . Rowling sold her copyrights to Scholastic , they sold it to the Canadian publisher , the Canadian publisher sold it ( the book ) to the bookstore , and the bookstpre fessed up by selling it to a customer . The problems that occur due to that are to be sorted out between Scholastic , the Canadian publisher , and the bookstore owner , and not the Courts or the customers . The customers are perfectly within their rights to do with the book as they please ( except , of course , violate its copyright ) . Posting that spoiler was what earned him that )

Actually, copyright holders (in this case, the publisher/Scholastic) have control over when their works are distributed. It was a copyright violation to sell the books early, as per the intedned shipdate.

As you said, they cannot violate its copyright. The order was to the letter.

	15-07-2005 17:13									#12
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The copyright laws only forbid you to make copies of the book. If you paid for the book youīre entitled to read it. The bookstore ****ed up, itīs not the customers fault...

	15-07-2005 17:23									#13
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quote: Originally posted by Dr Zoidberg The copyright laws only forbid you to make copies of the book. If you paid for the book youīre entitled to read it. The bookstore ****ed up, itīs not the customers fault...

The customers aren't being punished in any way.

And no, copyright laws do not only govern copies...

quote: A copyright is a set of exclusive rights granted by government for a limited time to regulate the use of a particular form, way or manner in which an idea or information is expressed.

	15-07-2005 18:03									#14
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quote: Originally posted by Asher The customers aren't being punished in any way.

No? The injunction clearly stated that the customers didnīt have the right to read the books they actually paid for. Iīd call that a punishment, and an unjustified one at that.

quote: And no, copyright laws do not only govern copies... quote: A copyright is a set of exclusive rights granted by government for a limited time to regulate the use of a particular form, way or manner in which an idea or information is expressed.

But is still doesnīt make buying the books a breach of the copyright law! And the injunction was directed at the customers, remember?

	15-07-2005 18:06									#15
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quote: Originally posted by Dr Zoidberg No? The injunction clearly stated that the customers didnīt have the right to read the books they actually paid for. Iīd call that a punishment, and an unjustified one at that.

They had to wait a few days, legally. They have the same rights as everyone else to the work, which was to read it on or after July 16th. Where is the punishment?

Were they fined? Were the books confiscated without a refund? Were they tarred & feathered?

quote: But is still doesnīt make buying the books a breach of the copyright law! And the injunction was directed at the customers, remember?

Actually, it does. That's what the ruling said.

Part of the terms of the copyright was availability on or after the 16th. Possessing them is just was illegal as possessing pirated movies, even if they didn't pirate them themselves.

	15-07-2005 18:42									#16
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Legal, schmegal. Possession is 9/10thīs of the law

	15-07-2005 18:54									#17
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quote: Originally posted by Asher Part of the terms of the copyright was availability on or after the 16th. Possessing them is just was illegal as possessing pirated movies, even if they didn't pirate them themselves.

This isn't a copyright issue. It's a contractual issue between the bookstore and the publisher, which the bookstore violated.

	15-07-2005 18:59									#18
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I read the spoiler. I'll never read the book or any of the previous books. I know people who are waiting anxiously to get the book. Still dont think i'll let them know the plot, just cuz I think its too dumb to matter.

	15-07-2005 20:24									#19
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Uh, the injunction forbid sharing the plot with other people, not reading the book. IMHO, it's in the public's general interest for the plot to remain secret until release date.

Yeah, the GPL forbids NDAs for beta releases, but I disagree with Stallman about this being a crucial human rights point.

I mean -- could any public good whatsoever be derived from the plot of the book being posted online before release? If you are waiting for reviews, you can wait a week little longer. Sheesh.:P

	15-07-2005 21:01									#20
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quote: Originally posted by St Leo Uh, the injunction forbid sharing the plot with other people, not reading the book. IMHO, it's in the public's general interest for the plot to remain secret until release date.

How on earth does that make sense?

	15-07-2005 22:02									#21
	Got spare money?

Well, spoilers suck.

	15-07-2005 22:04									#22
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I don't see how that equates to their being a "general public interest" in legally prohibiting people from making them. Free speech and all that jazz.

	15-07-2005 22:23									#23
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

i don't have any problem with protecting both the publisher's effort and investment in this case, which is what the injunction does.

	15-07-2005 22:28									#24
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Do you think releasing plot spoilers is going to stop anyone from buying the book who was already planning on doing so? Highly doubt it.

Curtailing free speech to protect business interests is hardly my definition of protecting the public interest, either.

	15-07-2005 22:47									#25
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quote: Originally posted by Boris Godunov Do you think releasing plot spoilers is going to stop anyone from buying the book who was already planning on doing so? Highly doubt it. Curtailing free speech to protect business interests is hardly my definition of protecting the public interest, either.

As you admit, the ruling does not affect profits one way or another. It protects the joy of reading, not the bottom line.

	15-07-2005 23:13									#26
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quote: Originally posted by St Leo [q] Originally posted by Boris Godunov As you admit, the ruling does not affect profits one way or another. It protects the joy of reading, not the bottom line.

But rulings/laws prohibiting free speech shouldn't be made unless there is a compelling public interest in doing so. Ergo no shouting "Fire" in a theater, no slander or libel, etc.

I don't see how people posting spoilers on a website is in any way damaging to the public interest that it should require legal injunctions. Such injunctions seem to me an improper cowtowing of the judiciary to business interests.

	16-07-2005 00:48									#27
	Suffering from ads?

By the way, since I'm not in Canada anymore, I can reveal some plot points:

Harry Potter has a hex cast on him by Ron Weasley over an argument they have about the affections of Hermione Granger.

It promptly devolves into silvery things gushing out of wands and what not, solved only by Hermione's relieving their tension in private, three-way talks.

	16-07-2005 00:54									#28
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

I'll pay 50$(Cdn) to anyone who runs into a crowded bookstore and spoils the plot of Harry Potter to a crowd of people about to buy the book, if they can provide evidence of the act.

It wont be illegal cuz it'll be past the injunction date

	16-07-2005 00:56									#29
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Will you also cover medical expenses?

	16-07-2005 00:58									#30
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Better yet... I think I will go around bookstores and make people give me five dollars for me not to reveal the ending of the book to them. Far more lucrative venture!