copyrightIs Your Business Just a Hobby? (The Simple Dollar)
It makes a big difference to the IRS. Here’s how to distinguish the two.
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On Copyright Again (Joe Konrath)
Last summer I wrote about the need to reform copyright. The points I made then are still relevant and valid, but I wanted to add a bit to it based on some comments in my last blog post.
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Amazon Kindle Voyage vs Kobo Aura (GoodeReader)
Today, we put them both head to head to give you a sense of the best value for your money.
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Why 2015 is the Year of Encryption (GigaOM)
Obama isn’t alone; everyone is calling for encryption, from activists to engineers, and even government agencies tasked with cybersecurity.
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Kindle Daily Deal: Gould’s Book of Fish (and others)

2 COMMENTS

  1. I’m not especially fond of the current life plus seventy copyright laws, but I’m equally unimpressed by some of Konrath’s reasons. I don’t give a shite how badly he’d love to write stories about Hulk vs. Superman or Batman cornholing Robin or the Creature from the Black Lagoon doing Cthulhu knows what with Swamp Thing. I could not care less. I know this type of writing is popular with some readers, but I think it lacks gravitas and not likly to influence anybody who isn’t a fan already. Preacher, choir: you know.

    My beef with copyright would be data loss. A book or magazine or whatever is published, goes out of print, the creators move on or die, and nobody knows how or where to establish copyright ownership. That content is a risk. It may not be good content all things considered, but it could disappear for future readers and historians. Of course my beef probably doesn’t pass muster either unless somebody is making a buck.

    My take, let copyright expire every twenty years unless renewed. If the estate (or corporatition) of a creator wants to keep renewing from now until the heat death of the universe, I don’t see any reason to stop them. Fans of Star Wars or Star Trek can live with the official licensed versions for thousands of years or more or move on to different stories.

    One way or another, this will happen. I doubt Disney will ever give up its copyrights as long as people give them money; they will buy the lawmakers to make new laws in their favor. Again and again until it’s no longer in their interest or they go out of business.

    Going to Disney World, buying tickets or DVDs to the newest Star Trek reboot is fuel for copyright holders. If you truly dislike copyright, stop placing logs on the fire and warming your hands. Starve the owners.

    • @Greg M, yes and no on who does who. I agree that those types of crossovers only appeal to a particular audience. However, I have discovered new works through crossover fanfictions, so they can appeal to someone who is already a fan of one property who is willing to be introduced to another. Kris Rusch recently reviewed a book called Faceoff which is a series of short stories where selected thriller writers did cross over their characters. I’ll be checking it out

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