May 08, 2003
Alice and the Public Domain
The Duke Journal of Law and Contemporary Problems contains an article by Yochai Benkler entitled Through the Looking Glass: Alice and the Constitutional Foundations of the Public Domain.
I haven't read it, but the section headings for part one are immensely cute:
A. The White Rabbit
B. Off with His Head!
C. What, Exactly, Is Your Problem?
You may
remember that Adobe's eBook version of Alice in Wonderland -- a public domain work -- contains the following provisions:
No text selections can be copied from this book to the clipboard. No printing is permitted on this book. This book cannot be lent or given to someone else. This book cannot be given to someone else. This book cannot be read aloud.
The DMCA, of course, supports Adobe's claims because the eBook is in an encrypted format; unlicensed decryption, even to do something that is otherwise perfectly legal, is a criminal offense under the DMCA.
Thanks to
Ernie for the link!