Saturday, June 8, 2013

DMCA & GMO & Democracy


There is a pattern that has occurred to me, reading Patry on copyrights.  Patry tells how the DMCA extends copyright holders power over the freedom of machinery makers to design products for consumers.  It is a very Rothbardian argument,  For example...

The DMCA gives copyright holders (actually the record companies) a control over the copyrighted item and the ability to reproduce it. If your machine can reproduce copyrighted item, I have control over your machine.  I have have a copyright on a song and you are Sony, I have say so in what you can design a machine to do.  I have say so in how your customers can use the machine they bought from you.*  Even if neither Sony nor its customer  ever approaches anything I have copyrighted.  Does this sound familiar?

Music copyrightholders control music and the right and means to reproduce them.  This extends to the personal property of others.

Seed companies patentholders control GMO seeds and the right to reproduce them.  This extends to the real property of others.

Just as the Congress gave music copyright holders control over what Apple and Sony can make in the way of machines, so the Supreme Court, following whatever political winds might be passing through at any given moment, gave Monsanto's patents the right to control what farmers grow.

Copyrights are a trojan horse in which record companies, putative representatives of the music or seed business, take over property.  It is brilliant, in an evil genius sort of way.

Where else do we see this?  Well, USA owns the idea of democracy, and if you want it for your self, you are obliged to allow USA troops into your country, whether you want them or not.  American Exceptionalism has the rights to democracy so USA controls democracy and the right to reproduce it. This extends to the countries of others.

There is a consistency there that I like.

*This is why some CDs bought in one country will not play in another.  This is why when making copies of anything at Kinko's you run into so many checks to keep you from "violating" copyright.


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1 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.alternet.org/food/proof-biotech-companies-are-getting-desperate?paging=off