[5285] in www-talk@info.cern.ch
Bill of Rights
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Chris Lilley, Computer Graphics Un)
Tue Aug 23 06:45:23 1994
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 1994 12:33:58 +0200
Errors-To: listmaster@www0.cern.ch
Errors-To: listmaster@www0.cern.ch
Reply-To: lilley@v5.cgu.mcc.ac.uk
From: lilley@v5.cgu.mcc.ac.uk (Chris Lilley, Computer Graphics Unit)
To: Multiple recipients of list <www-talk@www0.cern.ch>
In message <9408221856.AA10679@dxmint.cern.ch> Sarr Blumson writes:
> Daniel W. Connolly says:
>> In message <Pine.3.85.9408221141.A462-0100000@enews>, "Rob Raisch, The
>> Internet Company" writes:
>> > Further, I have no idea of the number of
>> >consumers who view my content through your cache or what they view, how
>> >and when.
>> Do you have a right to know this? There was a lot of talk at the WWW
>> conference in Geneva about a "Bill of Rights" for the information age.
>> This is an interesting issue to add to the list.
> In the sense that he has a right to be paid for each one, yes, he has a right
> to know the number.
Not sure about that. If I buy a book or a paper, am I allowed to let other
people read bits? yes. Lend the whole of it to others? yes. Do these other
people have to pay the publisher? No. Do I have to inform the publisher that on
such and such a date joe borrowed my book for two hours and read chapters 2, 4
and 7? No. Indeed, were I required to do so this would be a significant
infringement of my personal freedom.
I do not see why merely publishing information digitally changes this
established practice.
#ifdef UK_site
There was an interesting article in the Guardian on Monday pointing out that, in
contrast to the US and most of Europe, in the UK we do not have a specific
constitution or codified rights. Rather than specify what we may do, we have
(supposedly) the freedom to do anything that is not specifically illegal. The
present government is of course attempting to change this with the Criminal
Injustice Bill. But I digress.
If a "Bill of Rights" for the information age were to be published, is there any
existing mechanism whereby it could be made law, as we do not have specific
written rights that could be added to?
#endif
--
Chris
