Re: Samples and looping

[Nick <ParadoxQuine@gmail.com>]

I have read most of this thread and it's a really interesting
discussion. I recently did a university paper for my (software
engineering) ethics class on the legality and ethicality of sampling.
I apologize in advance if someone said this already, but I didn't
notice it while reading over things:

I'd just like to point out that the original copyright clause, "To
promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for
limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their
respective Writings and Discoveries." does not mention protecting
profitability at all. <opinion> It's for creativity, and in that
respect I see free sampling as the ultimate expression of this ideal,
where copyright's place is merely to prevent song theft (releasing
someone else's song as your own).

On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 1:01 PM, Louigi Verona <louigi.verona@gmail.com> 
wrote:
>
> "in Louigi's world, Elvis owes nothing for using the song. (If I've 
>mischaracterized the positions, I apologize.)"
>
> Yeah, that's correct. I would say that paying willingly is fine but you 
>shouldn't be obliged.
>
> On the other hand, guys, there is an interesting thing which happens. If 
>you are not obliged, psychologically you would
> tend more to want to thank people who contributed. Eventually people get 
>used to contributing and in the long run it once
> again becomes a certain moral obligation. It is an inevitable process. 
>And such moral norms eventually may end up reflected in law (though I 
>believe
> today law is way too tiresome and tries to control every aspect of life 
>which is not that good).
>
> So I would say this - paying or crediting or somehow thanking the 
>authors is good. It is part of human nature. But in my
> opinion it should not be governed by law. It should be governed more by 
>common ethics and at the same time be a movement
> of a kind heart. In that case when you are creatively building something 
>on top of someone else's material, you feel yourself
> part of a community to which you are contributing and the achievements 
>of which you are using in your work, rather than an
> individual who "steals" someone else's ideas for his own benefit.
>
> I hope I am not too philosophizing %)
>
> Louigi.