Re: Ethics Regarding "Demos"

[engjs@cc.newcastle.edu.au (James Smith)]

This business of the ethics of the demos has been thrashed out here before.

When Kate was first starting she sent copies of a demo tape to a number of
companies and radio stations to try and kindle some interest. It failed to
do so, and led her to consider a career outside musics. Most people believe
that one of these tapes was the source of the demos. So it is not a case
of 'someone stealing something from a vault.'

Kate owns copyright on the demos, and copying them is an infringement of
that right. So anyone who copies the demos is legally in the wrong. It
is not actually illegal to own the demos, or polay them, only to copy them.

Is it morally wrong to copy the demos? The purpose of copyright law is to
protect the right of an artist to make money from her work, and the purpose
behind that was to foster the creation of new works. Copyright law was
never intended to be used to suppress works that have been created. Those
artists who use it for that purpose are themselves morally in the wrong.

The whole question will be academic in about five years time, as copyright
on music only lasts for 25 years. It can be renewed at that time, but as I
doubt Kate has or will ever registered the demos I can't see that happening.

Of course, Kate does not want the demos copied, or listened to. Whether
you want to abide by her wishes is up to you. That of course has no bearing
on the ethics of copying or listening to the demos.

Jim
-- 
James J Smith             | One of the biggest obstacles to the future
Faculty of Engineering    | of computing is C. C is the last attempt
Newcastle University      | of the high priesthood to control the
engjs@cc.newcastle.edu.au | computing business. It's like the scribes
--------------------------+ and the Pharisees who did not want the
masses to learn to read and write.                  -- Jerry Pournelle