Neal Pomea

When the copyright office called for responses on what to do about orphaned copyright works (in my terms, withheld from the public), this was one reply about how the copyright law as now stated hurts us: http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/archives/STM%...han%20Works.pdf I would never have been as generous as this article. I voted that a total of 14 years' unavailability sends it to the public domain.

On the subject of incentives to be creative, I posted something on this topic on another board discussing food and recipes, and the copyright ownership of recipes. It's as if the law assumes that I am so DISINCLINED to be creative, I won't so much as write down my recipe for 3 minute eggs unless I can be assured that it is copyrighted by me for the rest of my life plus 70 more years, covering my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. It also assumes that my offspring are so disinclined to be creative (or even fend for themselves!), they must be beneficiaries of my creativity for generations. Wouldn't that make them less likely to be creative (or fend for themselves?) I hope not to offend anyone here, but who are Disney's descendants who are so creative as the old man, for example? Disney himself benefitted from public domain stories like Snow White, etc. It stretches things quite a bit to speak of copyright and compensation as the incentive for creativity. I want to see artists and creative people make a living, too, but we pay a very high price with these long copyright terms.

Do you think copyright holders should hold copyright for out of print material for the term of the life of the author plus 70 years? Or does this seem unfair to you? If material is out of print, it cannot be acquired or copied by the public save through institutions like libraries and archives (and in the case of music, through radio. Radio?? How foreign to many of our young people today!). The public cannot enjoy the benefits of copyrighted works while they remain unavailable. Why should copyright holders be allowed to hold onto these rights for such long terms? The very phrasing of an earlier poll question on piracy certainly tended to lend itself to accusations of theft and immorality by the downloading music fan. But what about the practice of hoarding one's copyright for very long terms and leaving so much music unavailable? Isn't that something like theft from the public? Ok, this was worded in a pointed way, but I am curious to know whether in this copyright war, how many of you see ONLY the side of the musicians and music companies (copyright holders) to the exclusion of the right of the public to these creations (public domain).

I am more worked up by another issue, which is the hoarding of our heritage by copyright holders of old works that would have gone into the public domain were it not for the various extensions of the term of copyright in the U.S. The original term was 14 years, then 28, then now it's the lifetime of an author plus 70 years. That's quite a stretch. Only one major company, Edison, has donated its rights to the public. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5139522 They say that's not criminal? I figured that out. Someone mentioned fair use. We should look closer at the law. Fair use is meant to cover the likes of journalists quoting public figures for the purpose of reporting and criticism, etc. One of the factors used in determining fair use is the effect on the market, and another is the amount of material appropriated. Making an archival copy is one thing but giving a copy to someone, substituting for a sale, is likely not considered fair use.

In the U.S. libraries are covered in the copyright law. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/usc...08----000-.html There's a short list of exemptions, like reproduction for the blind, exemptions for classroom teachers, fair use, etc. On the question of whether authors are harmed by library lending, they are harmed more when libraries deem their works unworthy of being collected and preserved for public use.

Yep, that worked. Thanks ejp626!

I have downloaded some things from emusic.com, Cajun, old time country, and bluegrass. Getting ready to download some jazz with the trial of 50 free downloads. I have some technical questions maybe somebody can answer? I registered and got an e-music download manager. When I download a song, it loads quickly in the download manager, and then I click listen and it launches my mp3 player, MusicMatch Jukebox. Now, can I save the songs as mp3s and put them somewhere on my hard drive or do I always need to launch the download manager to reach the songs? I don't care for the way my songlist is just a list of songs without the name of the artist or the album. I usually organize mp3s on my hard drive better than that. Anybody can help with that? ejp626 mentioned there's a software that can do the trick. Thanks!

The full text of the December report is free online. I downloaded it. No need to post it here (too long). In any case, it's about what libraries and archives can legally do, NOT rogues like me and my site on preserving Cajun music.

They really did a snow job to the public with those copyright laws. A white one.

If you had said 60 years instead of 50, I would say Hank Williams. An amazing body of work! And he got his inspiration from real life and the funny books!

New Hampshire Avenue from the Watergate Hotel out to the intersection with Georgia Avenue where it changes name to Damascus Road is called Highway to Heaven. Just about any kind of denomination you can think of, including a Cambodian Buddhist temple just up from my home http://www.cambodian-buddhist.org/ It's so full of churches that whenever we pass by a block or two without one or more, we refer to that as the devil's land. I think the temple is open to visitors at some times of the year.

This work life of mine is REALLY cutting into my World Series viewing! Went to bed after 9 thrilling innings and missed the last 5. What a game! Longest in time. Tied for most innings. Most players used. All in all, about 7 WS records broken or tied last night... I suppose it's pretty much all over. Not much chance of Houston taking the next 4 games, but wouldn't that be a story? This is one year when I will be glad for either team who wins.

Count Basie Melba Liston Jack Teagarden

Root for the team from the "wrong" side of Chicago, with a more diverse crowd in their stands than the team on the other side, a legendary "Say it ain't so, Joe," and a manager whose religion growing up practiced animal sacrifice. They play good baseball too...Four consecutive complete games unheard of at this point in the season.

Root for the team whose city is hosting the Katrina victims in their old stadium. Houston's been Louisiana's team for ages. Even had their triple A team in NO for a long time. Since NO will even likely lose their Saints to San Antonio, might as well root for the Texas team, except the Dallas Cowboys.

"Now you're chunking in there"

Congratulations Astros! This is the World Series matchup I was hoping for ever since my Washington Nationals were eliminated from the wild card race in the last week of the regular season. We should see some great pitching! Maybe even the White Sox bullpen this time around! Too bad for the Cardinals, though. It may take a while before we see the two teams with the best regular season records match up in a World Series.

No credit at all to the Astros? Aside from Farnsworth, relievers for both teams, including Clemens, held off several rallies. I don't know the number of men LOB but it seemed high. It was a double game really, using all their players. Sorry to see the Braves lose under those circumstances. Good luck Houston!

Actually, the White Sox were in the World Series in 1959. they haven't WON since 1917. ← 59? 17? Yeah, I can see how long suffering they are in Boston. Boo hoo.

Yes but who suffers more, the one that continually has a good team yet falls just short, or the one that usually sucks every year? The Boston fan knows heartbreak, the White Sox fan knows shitty baseball. (I'm a Philies/Mariner fan btw - not from Boston) ← Who suffers more? The team who has been out of the chances longer, that's who, including the Astros. This year I root definitely the Chisox. They have been out of it longer. Since the Black Sox scandal. Since this is the steroids scandal year, it would be ironic if they won. I don't think they have anyone on their team in the scandal this time. My hats off to Ted Williams. Greatest hitter of all time!

Hoping for a White Sox/Astros or Braves World Series. Chisox longer suffering than Bosox though you wouldn't know it. Those are the most insufferably whining fans of all. They have had their chances many more times than the Chisox. Boston is a great franchise but I hate them in the playoffs. It's the media's fault for making them their darling. Braves? I hate them but Bobby Cox deserves it. What a run! Astros? If the Nationals couldn't make it then I root for the Astros. The Zephyrs are our AAA team, but for now I guess Houston has to be New Orleans' team...

Hoping for a White Sox/Astros or Braves World Series. Chisox longer suffering than Bosox though you wouldn't know it. Those are the most insufferably whining fans of all. They have had their chances many more times than the Chisox. Braves? I hate them but Bobby Cox deserves it. What a run! Astros? If the Nationals couldn't make it then I root for the Astros. The Zephyrs are our AAA team, but for now I guess Houston has to be New Orleans' team...

They left out gospel. Gospel singing is integral to bluegrass, IMO. I think Bill Monroe was a genius gospel song writer, like Albert E. Brumley, and his stuff when Jimmy Martin was a Blue Grass Boy is unsurpassed! "I hear a voice calling, it must be our Lord!" Shivers... Then there's the Stanley Brothers doing Rank Stranger, etc.

Sorry if this is off-topic. I thought Rob Bamberger did a nice job paying tribute to the music of New Orleans this past Saturday at http://www.wamu.org/audio/hj/05/09/hj050903.ram or http://www.wamu.org/audio/hj/05/09/hj050903.asx

New Orleans, with Louis Armstrong and Billie Holliday (1947) played recently on American Movie Classics Louis refers to classical music as longhair music