Monday, December 8, 2008

Chapter 20 - There are no free lunches?!

Copyright laws and restrictions are part of our everyday life. Although some bands may want to share their music for free in charge or some software developers would like their programs to spread free to everyone, we are used to that there are some who do not expect to get copyright on their outcomes and there are others that do.
Big companies have all the means to protect their programs/results. It gives them funds to develop things. It also gives user the right to accuse the company on something if it does not work the way it should. If we talk about freeware, not copyrighted and changed by all then there is noone who would be actually responsible. Maybe it won't but what happens if it caos happens - things do not work the way they are expected and noone can be reached who could fix it quickly or even know how to fix it.
Although I want to use musiv free of charge and computer programs that I do not have to pay for (and free ones are mostly quicker developed than those for fee from big companies).
If I talk baout computers, then there is bunch of computer users who are happy to pay for their oc with all needed software and tey do not want to spend time on thinking what browser they need to surf in the internet, they even do not know that they could use 2 browsers at the same time in their pc (it is a real-life example of users who have been using computer for years, every day and not only for work). I think the copyright laws gives an easier life to a person that does not want to think what and how to get, but is happy to get a completed product from a shop and start using it when he/she goes home.
On 20th chapter was an example about a band that decided their fans have to get their music for free. Only the fans can get it who know where to look for it. But there is a small change that someone who would also like it, but does not know he/she can't get it from a store for reasonable price, would actually see it. Most free products end up spread form hand to hand or by internet, but they do not have moderator who would be really interested on getting the product for so many end-users.

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