• Riskable@programming.dev
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    14 days ago

    Just because that product isn’t an exact copy of the book doesn’t mean they’re not abusing the copyright.

    No, it does mean that. If a work doesn’t contain enough of the original that a layman could identify it as a copy (plagiarism) or derivative, it’s not violating or abusing copyright.

    Mountains of popular books (and all media, really) are built upon previous works. If copyright worked the way you suggest, none of those stories would be legal.

    The act of copying a book you own into a database is legal. That’s all Alsup is reaffirming in that quote you shared.

    Remember: Copyright is all about distribution. Until a copyrighted work is distributed, copyright law doesn’t even really come into play.

    Those of us who remember the MPAA/RIAA wars of the 90s and 2000s understand that it is your right to make as many copies of a thing as you damned well please. Fuck the MPAA and fuck you if you’re taking their side.

    We must never allow corporations to control what we do with our own shit. You know that, “you will own nothing and you’ll love it” quote? If you’re against what Alsup is saying in this ruling, you support that stance (of owning nothing).