Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
The word "may" is the most pernicious word in this whole copyright debate. What "may" be infringing is orders of magnitude greater than what does infringe. If I whistle Dixie I may infringing. By holding people to the standard of "may" you are depriving them of a large body of legitimate actions.

If you don't know that an action is wrong, you are making things worse by telling people not to do it.

Instead of informing people about what they can't do, what "may" infringe, show them what they can. Highlight legitimate uses of online materials. Show podcasts and slide shows where the material has been used without complaint by the rights holders.

Leave the enforcement to the lawyers. It is way to easy and far too damaging to run around saying "beware!" "beware!". Adopt an attitude of enabling use, not of preventing use.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Mar 29, 2024 08:11 a.m.

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