Intellectual Property

"The artist has the right to profit from his own work." That's the catch-phrase. It's entirely valid too. It is the spirit of US copyright law.

And then we have the letter of the law, slightly different from the spirit of the law. The artist can sell the rights to his own creation. The Corporation can purchase all the rights of the artist, so far as a given work is concerned. Once this has been done, the artist can be damned and go to hell.

Finally, we have the actual implementation of the law. US Government agencies, heavily staffed by corporate attorneys, go door-to-door shutting down small companies accused of harming corporate profits. Industry attorneys go around the free world to influence and coerce other governments to abide by US copyright law. The harm is never substantiated, and prosecutions go forward nonetheless. In time, the money and the power of the Corperation, to one degree or the next, prevails.

Does the implementation of US copyright law benefit the artist? I think no. Does the implementation of the law honor the spirit of the law? I say no.

I am 100% in line with the spirit of US copyright law. I am out of line with the actions of my government, in the name of the Corporation.

The purpose of our government is not to increase corporate profits.