interesting letter from Josef Davies-Coates, central to the values defended by the FC Forum<br><br>See: to be published at <a href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/an-open-letter-to-a-pro-copyright-author/2011/02/02">http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/an-open-letter-to-a-pro-copyright-author/2011/02/02</a> ; <br>
<br>forgot to note the source of josef's original link, but book in question is available via <a href="http://files.uniteddiversity.com/Permaculture/">http://files.uniteddiversity.com/Permaculture/</a><br><br><p class="postTitle">
<a href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/an-open-letter-to-a-pro-copyright-author/2011/02/02" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to An open letter to a
pro-copyright author">An open letter to a pro-copyright author</a></p>
<img src="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/wp-content/uploads/avatars/Michel%20Bauwens.jpg" alt="photo of Michel Bauwens" align="left"><div id="postauthorname">Michel
Bauwens</div>
<div id="postdate">2nd February 2011</div>
<br>
<p>From Josef Davies Coates, who received a threatening letter
regarding a book that was posted online:</p>
<p>Toby Hemenway, a leading permaculture author sent me a message with
very very thinly veiled threat to sue me for including his great book
Gaia�s Garden here <a href="http://files.uniteddiversity.com/Permaculture/">http://files.uniteddiversity.com/Permaculture/</a>
(someone else has also put it up on Scribd)</p>
<p>Here is the text of his message:</p>
<blockquote><p> at <a href="http://files.uniteddiversity.com/Permaculture/">http://files.uniteddiversity.com/Permaculture/</a> you
have a pirated copy of my book, Gaia�s Garden. My publisher, Chelsea
Green, has prosecuted pirates often. You also have copies of Paul
Stamet�s books, and Paul has been known to sue the shit out of pirates.
You also have Fukuoka�s books, which my friend Larry Korn took years to
translate. Larry, a pioneer organic farmer, badly needs the money from
sales. Why would you steal from your colleagues and teachers like this?
It makes it very hard to write again if we aren�t supported. You might
want to take those books down. Free is not sustainable.</p></blockquote>
<p>And here is my response:</p>
<p> Hi Toby,</p>
<p> Thanks for getting in touch. <img src="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" class="wp-smiley"> </p>
<p> Please forgive me in advance for this lengthly email, but this is
a topic that is of great import to me (and I�m supposed to be doing my
tax return! <img src="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" class="wp-smiley"> )</p>
<p> Firstly, let me share with you that I�m currently in the process
of designing my first Forest Garden and I was just last night reading
the 2nd edition of your great book (of which I own a hard copy). Thanks
for all your great work!</p>
<p> I must say, however, that it saddens me greatly that people as
enlightened as yourself have not yet realised how backward and pointless
trying to enforce copyright is, nor accepted the fact that digital
content that exists can be, and usually is, copied many many times.</p>
<p> It is time for many more authors and publishers (especially the
good ones!) to acknowledge that the current, rather dated, publishing
model is no longer sustainable in the digital networked age we find
ourselves in.</p>
<p> The commons-based peer production of free software and content is
in fact much more so; Linux dominates the server market and more and
more enlightened people use it on their desktops too. Firefox is now the
most popular web browser in Europe. Wikipedia, whose software and
content has always been free to share, is consistently in the top 10
visited websites on the planet.</p>
<p> Perhaps even more excitingly, the Open Source 3D Printer, RepRap,
cost 60 times less than commercial competition and Open Source Ecology
are designing, building and sharing a whole Global Village Construction
Set, (think PermaFacture of just about everything <img src="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" class="wp-smiley"> ) <a href="http://openfarmtech.org">http://openfarmtech.org</a></p>
<p> The electronic copy of your book (and all the other important and
timely information nicely organised into folders on
<a href="http://files.uniteddiversity.com">http://files.uniteddiversity.com</a> ) is out in the wild already, and was
so before I got my hands on it (that is how I got my hands on it). There
is absolutely nothing anyone can do about that, however many lawyers
and court cases are involved. This is a fact that publishers and authors
stuck in an old mindset and dependent on old business models ignore at
their peril.</p>
<p> For some context, I�d really love it if you could please take
30mins to listen to this great presentation that Lawrence Lessig of the
Electronic Frontier Foundation gave back in 2002:</p>
<p><a href="http://randomfoo.net/oscon/2002/lessig/free.html">http://randomfoo.net/oscon/2002/lessig/free.html</a></p>
<p> He sums it up at the beginning with a short refrain:</p>
<p> 1. Creativity and innovation always builds on the past.<br>
2. The past always tries to control the creativity that builds
upon it.<br>
3. Free societies enable the future by limiting this power of
the past.<br>
4. Ours is less and less a free society.</p>
<p> Perhaps also read these articles by Sci-Fi author Cory Doctorow�</p>
<p> Why free ebooks should be part of the plot for writers:</p>
<p> �My problem isn�t piracy, it�s obscurity, and free ebooks
generate more sales than they displace.�</p>
<p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/aug/18/free-ebooks-cory-doctorow">http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/aug/18/free-ebooks-cory-doctorow</a></p>
<p> The real cost of free:</p>
<p> �The topic I leave my family and my desk to talk to people
all over the world about is the risks to freedom arising from the
failure of copyright giants to adapt to a world where it�s impossible to
prevent copying. Because it is impossible.�</p>
<p> if I give away my ebooks under a Creative Commons licence
that allows<br>
non-commercial sharing, I�ll attract readers who buy hard
copies. It�s<br>
worked for me � I�ve had books on the New York Times bestseller
list for<br>
the past two years.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/oct/05/free-online-content-cory-doctorow">http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/oct/05/free-online-content-cory-doctorow</a></p>
<p> Free data sharing is here to stay</p>
<p> I sell my printed books by giving away electronic books</p>
<p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/18/informationeconomy">http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/18/informationeconomy</a></p>
<p> This post (and the comments) on Rob Hopkins book is also
relevant:</p>
<p><a href="http://transitionculture.org/2008/06/20/the-fascinating-story-of-a-viral-drum-break/">http://transitionculture.org/2008/06/20/the-fascinating-story-of-a-viral-drum-break/</a></p>
<p> The fact is, copying isn�t theft (the owner of the original copy
still has their copy) and ALL creative work is derivative.</p>
<p> As for your threats to get Chelsea Green etc to sue me�</p>
<p> 1. I have no money and no assets (OK, I admit, I do have about
300GBP in savings and 1000GBP invested in the Ecological Land Co-op,
plus a few other bits and bobs here and there), so not sure what they�d
achieve with that.</p>
<p> 2. The small two-person co-op I work for and founded, United
Diversity, is all about helping people to discover, contribute to and
replicate intelligent responses to climate, energy and economic
uncertainty. Our purpose is to improve quality of life on Earth whilst
simultaneously reducing ecological footprint. Is this really the sort of
organisation you want to sue?</p>
<p> 3. As part of our work, we are indirect long-term customers of
your publisher, Chelsea Green (through UK distributors, Green Books). I
have personally set-up and run market stalls at green fairs and
festivals all over the UK and have sold 100s, probably 1000s of their
hard copy books, including yours. Is this really the sort of person
you�d want your publishers to waste their time and money trying to sue
from across the Atlantic? Are there not many many far more urgent and
important (let alone more fun, interesting and inspiring) things to be
getting on with and using precious resources to do?</p>
<p> 4. I personally take the viewpoint that whilst sharing
copyrighted material that is not released under a Creative Commons (or
some other modern, open, license) is technically illegal, that sharing
it is in fact preventing a far greater crime; widespread ignorance and
the destruction of ecosystems everywhere. Note that in the UK this
argument has on numerous occasions stood up in a court of law. See, for
example:
<a href="http://uniteddiversity.com/damaging-property-to-prevent-climate-change-is-legal/">http://uniteddiversity.com/damaging-property-to-prevent-climate-change-is-legal/</a></p>
<p> So whilst I �might want to take those books down�, then again, I
might not.</p>
<p> Afterall, what good would it really achieve?</p>
<p> Like I said before, everything on
<a href="http://files.uniteddiversity.com">http://files.uniteddiversity.com</a> is not only really important info very
pertinent to our times, but its also already out in the wild. It is
literally impossible to remove it from the Internet at large (which is
where I got it all from in the first place).</p>
<p> What is really the point of removing it from my lovingly-collated
pdf collection when anyone who can get online (that�ll be nearly 1/3 of
the population on Earth then, nearly 2 billion people) and knows how to
search <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gaias+garden+.torrent">http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gaias+garden+.torrent</a> will be
able to find it and download it from peers spread all over the globe
(some of which, no doubt, live in jurisdictions with more sensible, i.e.
non-existent, copyright laws).</p>
<p> Of course, we�ve all got to make a livelihood. And in this overly
monestised world we find ourselves in, part of that involves creating/
producing stuff for sale to others for money � because most of us still
need money to live (although don�t say that to my friend Mark �Moneyless
Man� Boyle who has lived for about 2 years without using money at all
and is currently blogging about others who�ve been doing it for years
<a href="http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/blog">http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/blog</a> ).</p>
<p> And, of course, I think creators of all kinds, authors included,
ought to be fairly compensated for their efforts.</p>
<p> One possible solution to this conundrum in the digital age is
what is known at the Street Performer Protocol or Threshold Pledge
System</p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threshold_pledge_system">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threshold_pledge_system</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.logarithmic.net/pfh/rspp">http://www.logarithmic.net/pfh/rspp</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.schneier.com/paper-street-performer.html">http://www.schneier.com/paper-street-performer.html</a></p>
<p> Numerous online crowdfunding platforms (e.g. Kickstarter.com,
IndieGoGo.com etc.) are now available that facilitate such a system.</p>
<p> Flattr <a href="http://flattr.com/">http://flattr.com/</a> , launched last August, is also a great
model that nicely fits the world we now inhabit.</p>
<p> How about we try an experiment?</p>
<p> Next time you are about to start writing a new book, or a new
edition of an existing book, you estimate the amount of work it�ll take,
and the revenue you�d expect to make, and then, using one of the many
crowdfunding platforms, simply ask people to give you however much you
think is fair, up front. In return you could agree to publish it as a
public domain work, gifting it to the global commons. That�d be awesome!
You could also simultaneously publish the book online and put flattr
buttons on each and every post/ page.</p>
<p> I bet that would work. You could probably make even more money
from your writing by publishing that way than you do now. Meanwhile your
important work would be legally free to share (thankfully its already
free to share, just not legally) and we�d all be a step closer to
creating and living in the the world we want (not in a world dominated
by bankers, lawyers and monocultures). Moreover, people like me who
dedicate their lives to collecting and spreading important information
wouldn�t have to live their lives in fear of law suits!</p>
<p> You�d also gain respect from all the cool young kids who�ve grown
up with the Internet (i.e. the very people we NEED to get doing
permaculture NOW) and who understand intuitively that artificially
creating scarcity of electronic goods is as absurd as pretending the
world is infinite and the economy can grow forever.</p>
<p> If you try it and it doesn�t work, I�ll happily take your book
down from <a href="http://files.uniteddiversity.com">http://files.uniteddiversity.com</a> despite the fact that this
would be fairly pointless and the only thing it is likely to achieve is
to very very slightly reduce your book sales as less people (i.e. those
few that find it via my website) discover your important work.</p>
<p> Warmest regards and much respect,</p>
<p> Josef.</p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>P2P Foundation: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.net">http://p2pfoundation.net</a>� - <a href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net">http://blog.p2pfoundation.net</a> <br><br>Connect: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.ning.com">http://p2pfoundation.ning.com</a>; Discuss: <a href="http://listcultures.org/mailman/listinfo/p2presearch_listcultures.org">http://listcultures.org/mailman/listinfo/p2presearch_listcultures.org</a><br>
<br>Updates: <a href="http://del.icio.us/mbauwens">http://del.icio.us/mbauwens</a>; <a href="http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens">http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens</a>; <a href="http://twitter.com/mbauwens">http://twitter.com/mbauwens</a>; <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens">http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens</a><br>
<br>Think tank: <a href="http://www.asianforesightinstitute.org/index.php/eng/The-AFI">http://www.asianforesightinstitute.org/index.php/eng/The-AFI</a><br><br><br><br><br>