Re: [lp-ca-on] Humble Bundle

[Laurel L. Russwurm]

Dear Sergio:

I myself hadn't heard of either free software or free culture until i started listening to wild ideas from Bob.  He suggested I make a submission to the copyright consultation our government was conducting at the time.   I read some of the submissions posted, and I connected what I was learning with my own experience, so by the time I sat down to write my submission it turned out that I was a copyright reformer. 

(FYI: Over 8,000 Canadians made submissions, with the vast majority saying DRM shouldn't be included in copyright law but our government didn't listen, instead making the law the US told them to make.)

Anyway, copyright and free culture grew to be the primary focus of my first blog.  

As a writer, my main focus is free culture, but in today's world, free culture can be choked off by copyright law and DRM.  There is credible evidence that non commercial "piracy" increases the Copyrigh Industry's sales... which means It isn't piracy that's costing them money, but loss of market  share.  I don't think the copyright maximalists real purpose is to use copyright law to stop piracy, but to stop independent creators.   When researching an early article I learned:

“Independent musicians make up about 30 percent of the music industry now. That’s $150 million going to independent artists in Canada alone.” 
Eddie Schwartz, president of SAC (Songwriters Association of Canada)
http://this.org/magazine/2009/11/10/legalize-music-piracy-file-sharing/

That was in 2010; I don't know if that figure is still accurate, or if it is better or worse now.  (I'd love to know!)  What I do know is that CRIAA controlled 99%+ of the Canadian music industry before there was an Internet.

The Internet and technology have begun to free our culture from the grip of the media multinationals.  And it's all connected: if one freedom is suppressed, all freedom is endangered.  (And this is beginning to sound like another blog article... maybe next week  :)

Regards,
Laurel


On 10/16/2014 10:56 PM, Sergio Durigan Junior wrote:

On Thursday, October 16 2014, Laurel L. Russwurm wrote:

I don't know who all is here, but I feel very strongly about the
Humble Bundle issue, and so I'm sharing the link to the blog I posted
today, since I think its a pretty LibrePlanet issue; but if everyone
subscribed is in the Fediverse, so this might be a repeat:

Thanks, Laurel.  I am here, and a few other people interested in this
topic as well, so you are very welcome to post your thoughts here!

   Why I Don't Support the Humble Bundle

http://laurelrusswurm.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/why-i-dont-support-the-humble-bundle/

BTW, I did not know about Humble Indie Bundle before.  I am not a gamer
myself (disappointing some of my computer friends), and I confess I was
not much aware of Free Culture's issues before I came to Canada and
talked to you and Blaise.  Actually, I think Blaise will like this post
of yours :-).

Anyway, I do agree that Free Culture is as important as Free Software,
and they should live together.  I fight directly for the latter, mostly
because I am more involved with it in my day, but I also care a lot
about the former, and would like to attentd some event about it, of
course.

BTW, that reminds me that I still have to read a lot about the topic
:-).  So thanks again for letting us know about your post!

Cheers,

--
Laurel L. Russwurm, Author § about.me § Libreleft Books