mera sapna - copyright, donation and "hunger"

Friends,

This is the first post of temporary blog pages.

This post has been born out of frustration - technical frustration.

I do not know, why my comment is not being accepted at a wordpress.com blog and I have given some time to it, so why not publish it, just for the heck of it..

The relevant post, on which I was trying to post a comment is
http://merasapna.wordpress.com/2007/08/20/internet-thievs/

I suggest that first, you please read that post as mentioned above and then you might read my comments, if you want to...

Here are my comments

Rajesh ji

May be copyright is a difficult and obscure word.

I am NOT an expert even in the remotest sense of the word.

I am trying to figure out a copyright statement for my own use, so I checked up some things on copyright..

I may be wrong, but whatever I understood, I will try and simplify with some examples and some facts.

देखने का नजरिया अलग है। किसी ने अगर आलोक पुराणिक जी के चिट्ठे से दो पोस्ट हू बहू कापी
कर अपने चिट्ठे में डाल दिया तो क्या वह चोर हो गया?

Your first comment itself invalidates most of your article.

Just like the famous names
शेक्‍सपियर, रविन्‍द्र नाथ टैगोर, मुंशी प्रेमचंद, ममता कालिया, नामवर सिंह से लेकर तस्‍लीमा नसरीन
have copyright, so does any other person, writing anything - please NOTE "WRITING" - not stealing.

Please read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright

Specifically, somewhere in the middle of the page, under COPYRIGHT NOTICES

--QUOTE--
It is important to understand that absence of the copyright symbol does not mean that the work is not covered by copyright. The work once created from originality through 'mental labor' is instantaneously considered copyrighted to that person. Thus, a natural copyright exists from the time a work is invented or created regardless of whether a work has been registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Since all countries have separate copyright laws, there is no such thing as an International Copyright. The Berne Convention, however, makes the copyright automatic as well.
--UNQUOTE--

which means till the author clearly gives up copyright by stating his/her waiver of all claim over copyright, in very clear words, he/she has full right to excercise his/her copyright over the work in concern.

So even if someone has not given any copyright notice, but their work is original, international laws(due to most countries agreeing to berne convention) give complete right to the author, to decide how his/ her work will be shared.

So just like you say that copying is NOT possible for the big names, so it is for everybody else - LAW is same for all.

It is another matter that the bigger names are in a far better position to represent their copyright legally because they get their copyrights registered also - which makes statutory damages(higher compensation in regular words) possible if a legal case gets drawn up.

However, please note that even if somebody does NOT register their copyright and even IF they do not mention any copyright statement, they NATURALLY hold copyright to their work.

So your first comment itself invalidates the most substantial claim of your article, making it almost baseless.

The other points are philosophical in nature - not exactly related to copyright, still you have written and so many comments are here and I am writing, so I might as well touch them, just for good fun...

देखने का नजरिया अलग है। किसी ने अगर आलोक पुराणिक जी के चिट्ठे से दो पोस्ट हू बहू कापी कर अपने चिट्ठे में डाल दिया तो क्या वह चोर हो गया? आप कहते होंगे, मैं उसे नहीं मानता। मैं उसे उसकी भूख मानता हूं।

Rajesh Ji, this matter is legal and if somebody has picked up complete articles and the copyright does NOT permit so, then it NOT about nazariya - it is plain and simple ILLEGAL.

The author forbids something and somebody comes and does just that.

Let me give an example.You are wearing a trouser. It has a pocket too and the pocket has some money.

Till you allow someone clearly in writing or otherwise, to put their hand in your pocket and take that money, you will be EXTREMELY OFFENDED, if I walk by you and WITHOUT ASKING YOU, put my hand in YOUR pocket, TAKE the money and go away - I am sure you are NOT going to like it.

It is well accepted that pickpockets are thieves - they are not beggars/ needy people, to whom you can donate - they are THIEVES, you do NOT give willingly, but they TAKE, without even letting you know.

You are not supporting pickpockets, are you????

मैं उसे उसकी भूख मानता हूं।

Sure, you can think whatever you want to, but generally pickpockets are considered thieves - hungry or well fed - nobody bothers to ask - if they are caught, they face the law ..

वह अच्छा लिखना नहीं जानता। क्रिएटिविटि नहीं है उसके पास। तो क्या करे!

Continuing with my example.

This would mean, the pickpocket does not have any skill to earn legally, so what should he do???
So it is his/her right to pick pockets!!!How acceptable is that??

अभी कुछ दिन पहले मुझे एक चिट्ठेकार ने एक लिंक देकर यह बताया गया कि इस चिट्ठेकार ने कईयों की पोस्ट को अपने नाम से पब्लिश कर दी है। मैंने कहा यह तो बड़ी अच्छी बात है। मुफ्त में प्रचार हो रहा है। हां, वो अलग बात है कि आपका नाम नहीं दिया गया है। कोई बात नहीं। आपको पढ़ने वाले आपकी लेखनी को जानते हैं। नाहक आप परेशान ना होईए।

When you say
मुफ्त में प्रचार हो रहा है। हां, वो अलग बात है कि आपका नाम नहीं दिया गया है।

Obviously if name is NOT given, there is NO publicity.

and even if, someone gives the name, did the author ask for publicity?

did the author approve of this publicity and its format??

Please dont say these questions are not important.

Let me give an example.

Tommorow morning, when you move out of your house , the whole locality has posters titled "RAJESH ROSHAN KE NET DREAMS" with your articles, your photos, your name - everything yours, but along with that obscene photographs and other absurd things that YOU DO NOT LIKE - please note YOU DO NOT LIKE - I can give more decriptive ideas but I think you will get the picture anyway....

This will be Free publicity - nobody took any money from you.

ABSOLUTELY FREE!

You should be happy - your name , your wonderful articles, your beautiful photo .. everything - FREE PUBLICITY!!!

great isnt it!

will you like it????????

kyon nahin

आपको पढ़ने वाले आपकी लेखनी को जानते हैं। नाहक आप परेशान ना होईए।
aur puclicity bhi free hai - problem hi kya hai

kyon??

If you like such things then be sure you are a UNIQUE PERSON!!
and its time you realise your uniqueness!

उन्होंने कहा कि यह तो गलत बात है कि बिना नाम दिए उसने यह सब काम कर दिया। मैंने कहा गलत तो है लेकिन आप कुछ कर नहीं सकते।

Good that at least you accept, that IT IS WRONG.

but your opinion that nothing can be done, has already been proven wrong by the efforts of Shastri Ji and others - the concerned offending pages were removed.

In most cases even if the identity of the person is not known, the publishing site cannot escape liability till it reacts immediately to copyright infringement requests and publishing sites, ordinarily cannot stay hidden.. they are in business, as proper legal identities.

और करना भी नहीं चाहिए। तब तक जब तक वह आपका प्रतियोगी ना बन जाए।
Your personal opinion cannot be valid for all.

and someone stealing, can never be a contestant to the original person. Still, why bring a contest into it - it is a simple matter of denial of the author's wishes, whatever they may be, as expressed in the copyright or automatically applicable in the absence of any copyright statement..

आपका लिखा हुआ पोस्ट अगर कोई दूसरा पब्लिश करता है तो वह बेचारा ‘भूखा’ है। आपने उसे खाना दिया है। ठीक है कि वह आपका नाम नहीं ले रहा है, लेकिन दिया आपने ही है। जिसे सब लोग जानते हैं।

भूख को, इस मामले मे ना ही लाएँ, तो ज्यादा अच्छा होगा।
and "आपने उसे खाना दिया है।" is also NOT correct.

You have NOT given anything. he/ she has TAKEN, without even telling you and without your permission.

ठीक है कि वह आपका नाम नहीं ले रहा है, लेकिन दिया आपने ही है। जिसे सब लोग जानते हैं।

Seems like I need to give an example again.

Since you say that everybody knows, means the author is very popular OR has a very unique writing style.To create a good example, lets assume for a minute(just for a minute ONLY) that you own a MAYBACH car. I believe only two people own such cars in India,and probably it costs about 5.5Crore or so.

Still lets say, you are the ONLY ONE having that car.

Now somebody takes it, WITHOUT telling you.

Sure everybody knows, its YOUR CAR.
but you know, you have NOT given it, somebody has TAKEN it.

How does it help that everybody knows its your car - सब लोग जानते हैं।

You will still run to the police station to get back your car and get the thieves caught rather than saying
वह बेचारा ‘भूखा’ है

and I dont think, you will say

इसलिए शोर मत मचाइए, भूखे को खाना देना पुण्य की बात है। खुश हो जाइए। इसमें आपका कोई नुकसान नहीं हो रहा है।

Regarding
नोट: (आलोक पुराणिक जी का नाम मात्र उदाहरण के लिए दिया गया है)
Its a good thing, you did not give any names.

Now consider what you say yourself
आलोक जी जब कोई कानून बनता है तो यह समझ लीजिये कि उसकी जानकारी को रखनी चाहिऐ । अगर हम नही रख रहे हैं तो हम निश्चित रूप से बेवकूफ हैं ।

बुरा ना मानियेगा, मैने कुछ नहीं कहा, क्योकीं, मै ऐसे विचार नही रखता हूँ ।

I agree with you, that everybody doing any creative work, should know about copyrights because it will help them excercise their rights.. but if they dont know it, they are NOT what you want to say..