machine-envy

The debate accompanying my article for openDemocracy died off in about a week. Along the way, I was accused of mixing up the basic ideas behind copyright and patent law. At the time I sighed a sigh at the naivety of my accusers. But tonight I came across this August 2004 post to a message list, where I’m asking exactly the same question.

Whether I learnt my lesson back then in the Summer shall remain a moot point. What I like about the messages that follow after the first, highly informed response to my question, is how quickly the debate descends into incendiary terminological nit-picking. From this evidence, I would attempt to derive a new Godwin’s law for copyfighting, if someone hadn’t beaten me to it.