Items from the January 2008 issue of Locus Magazine. (I hope they don’t mind.) The first is just for fun, the rest are libertarian related. My comments are occasionally interjected in [] within an entry or after the blockquoted entry.
Dating, the Final Frontier
Fans of science fiction now have a new place to look for love: online dating site TrekPassions.com. Despite the name, it’s not devoted exclusively to Trekkies, but also to “others who share your passion for Sci Fi. Meet people who read Isaac Azimov, Ben Bova, Robert A. Heinlein, Douglas Adams, Arthur C. Clarke & more. Grok!?” The free social networking site resembles popular services like MySpace or Facebook, but with an SFnal slant, offering message boards and chat rooms. “Whether you are just looking for like-minded friends, someone fun to attend a Sci Fi convention with, or maybe something more, Trek Passions is here for you.” To boldly go… for more information, visit <www.trekpassions.com>.
The Attributor
A new company, Attributor, has created software that can track content on the Web, allowing publishers to discover text that is published online illegally. In a software test in July, Attributor found 2,806 sites contained parts of the book *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*. CEO Jim Brock understands the desire of publishers to remove pirated content, but also sees the software as a tool to expand marketing and sales. Once pirated content is found, Attributor can send an e-mail to the offending site, offering several options: continue to run the material but link to the publisher’s site, come to an agreement with the publisher regarding splitting revenue, and/or demand the content be stricken from the site.
Judge Rules Reading Private
Recently unsealed court records reveal that US Magistrate Stephen Crocker of Wisconsin refused a request from federal prosecutors to issue a subpoena to Amazon.com. Prosecutors wanted to compel the online bookselling giant to reveal the identity of thousands of used book buyers as part of their case against Madison WI public official Robert D’Angelo, who was accused of running an online business from his office without reporting the income [Oh my! Trying to hide personal property from government thieves!] . The judge ruled that the First Amendment protects the right to keep reading habits private. Crocker wrote, “Well founded or not, rumors of an Orwellian federal criminal investigation into the reading habits of Amazon’s customers could frighten countless potential customers into canceling planned online book purchases, now and perhaps forever… The subpoena is troubling because it permits the government to peek into the reading habits of specific individuals without their knowledge or permission… It is an unsettling and un-American scenario to envision federal agents nosing through the reading lists of law-abiding citizens while hunting for evidence against somebody else.” Crocker arranged a compromise whereby Amazon would send a letter to 24,000 customers asking them to voluntarily contact prosecutors if they so desired.
PMA Battles Galley Sales
PMA, the independent book publisher’s association, is asking its members to boycott online retailers that allow sales of galleys and advance reading copies. Practicing what it preaches, PMA has discontinued its arrangement with used book powerhouse AbeBooks.com, which provided PMA members with a discount in the initial fees to sell book through the site. AbeBooks lists hundreds of thousands of galleys and ARCs for sale. PMA’s president, Terry Nathan, says the call to action isn’t directed against AbeBooks in particular, but against all such online booksellers. An AbeBooks spokesman says they have no plans to change their policies to prevent selling advance copies. The practice of selling ARCs is unlikely to end. Once a publisher sends a book to a reviewer, it’s the reviewer’s property, so it’s not illegal to sell them, despite what publishers might wish.
At least PMA is attempting a voluntary solution and not trying to enlist the coercive power of the State.
Potter News
J.K. Rowling has given permission to fans who wish to write their own Harry Potter fiction for publication online. Rowling’s agent said was “flattered people wanted to write their own stories… Her concern would be to make sure that it remains a non-commercial activity to ensure fans are not exploited [that’s either paternalistic or bullshit, or paternalistic bullshit] and it is not being published in the strict sense of traditional print publishing.” He also said writers must not create obscene stories, and that any such stories be credited to their real authors, and not to Rowling [no IP needed for this, it would simply be fraud]. The announcement is largely symbolic – there are thousands of Potter fanfics, x-rated and otherwise, on the Internet already – but it sends a welcome message to fans.
I’m not sure how welcome it is. It is largely an empty pronouncement “ratifying” common practice by powerless IP enforcers. This isn’t a hand-out to fans. It’s just meant to protect Rowling’s image and the authority of the IP system.
Geoffrey is an Aristotelian-Libertarian political philosopher, writer, editor, and web designer. He is the founder of the