Free Culture (2004)
Context: Some people view the public domain with contempt. In their brief before the Supreme Court, the Nashville Songwriters Association wrote that the public domain is nothing more than "legal piracy." But it is not piracy when the law allows it; and in our constitutional system, our law requires it. Some may not like the Constitution's requirements, but that doesn't make the Constitution a pirate's charter.
As we've seen, our constitutional system requires limits on copyright as a way to assure that copyright holders do not too heavily influence the development and distribution of our culture. Yet, as Eric Eldred discovered, we have set up a system that assures that copyright terms will be repeatedly extended, and extended, and extended. We have created the perfect storm for the public domain. Copyrights have not expired, and will not expire, so long as Congress is free to be bought to extend them again.
“What is familiar to professional scientists highly needs to be placed in the public domain.”
Ce qui est familier aux savants de profession a grand besoin d'être mis dans le domaine commun.
Études et lectures sur les sciences d'observation et leurs applications pratiques, by Jacques Babinet, published by Mallet-Bachelier (1858), p. x http://books.google.com/books?id=zYIAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=titlepage#PPR10,M1.
“Common wealth is in the process of being transferred from the public domain to the private sector.”
Source: Another World Is Possible : Globalization and Anti-capitalism (2002), Chapter 3, The Invisible Hand Is A Closed Fist, p. 70
“Nothing can be more contemptible than to suppose Public RECORDS to be True.”
Annotations to An Apology for the Bible by R. Watson
1790s
Facebook Nation: Total Information Awareness (2nd Edition), 2014
As quoted in "Liberal Democracy and Us" https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/liberal-democracy-and-us/ (6 May 2018), by Jay Nordlinger, National Review
1980s, GNU Manifesto (1985)
Context: GNU is not in the public domain. Everyone will be permitted to modify and redistribute GNU, but no distributor will be allowed to restrict its further redistribution. That is to say, proprietary modifications will not be allowed. I want to make sure that all versions of GNU remain free.
Venom and Eternity (1951), Chapter II
" Microsoft CEO takes launch break with the Sun-Times https://web.archive.org/web/20011108013601/http://www.suntimes.com/output/tech/cst-fin-micro01.html" (1 June 2001) Chicago Sun Times
2000s
Les silences du colonel Bramble (The Silence of Colonel Bramble)
