Fickleknitter

September 07, 2008

Copy What?

I am so tired of reading about copyright. Particularly from those whose application of copyright is so full of fervor that we'll all have no books to read nor music to listen to because the pages and notes have been copyrighted by some previous pendant. I found the ideas in Fahrenheit 451 utterly horrifying, but if we keep up this irrationality of copyright going that's where we're headed.

An example? Newton and Leibniz developed Calculus notation at the same time, but in different locations. Newton didn't get all indigent and prevent future physicists from using F=ma did he? Imagine our world if he kept his intellectual property to himself, because he was concerned someone would violate his copyright. (I would like to reserve some special sentiment for the inventor of Statistical Mechanics, very similar words as "Thank You" however the first word varies a little with time). After four years of rigorous and exhaustive work to become a degreed physicist, and five as a graduate student I can personally attest to the beauty of mathematics and nature. And I'm glad I can share my knowledge and that that knowledge was shared with me without infringing on the intellectual heavy hitters. I surely didn't have money to pay their heirs royalties for that education.

In Knitting
I get so pissed off when I read people stating as fact that one mustn't gather ideas from other knitting. For years before patterns were widely available knitting was passed down through practice. Shall we return to those European countries in our time machine and sue the second person who knit a shetland lace sampler? Or an icelandic sweater? Or knit in the round? Let's not loose valuable techniques because we're consumed about paranoia about violating copyright. I am in no way advocating outright theft. When you write a pattern, document it with photographs and publish it is your copyrighted property. Do not steal that which belongs to others. But at the same time don't be a tyrant with ideas. We all live with the Collective Unconscious just like Newton and Leibniz.


Be conservative in what you do; be liberal in what you accept from others

Posted by Michelle at September 7, 2008 10:16 AM