From: Gene McAloon 

On Sun, 18 May 2003 16:27:51 +1300, dmhills{at}attglobal.net (Don Hills) wrote:

>Gene, I've pointed out before that your understanding is faulty.
>I'll repeat the simple phrase that should make it absolutely clear to you:
>"Yours to own on DVD/video!!!" (Also seen as "Own it on
DVD/video!!!")

Don,

Sorry, you are incorrect. What you are claiming sounds like something you
got from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. It is pure nonsense.

As Title 17 clearly states, if I write a book in manuscript form and obtain
a copyright for that work, I can sell the manuscript if I choose and I
still retain copyright to the contents of that manuscript. The buyer of
that manuscript does NOT become the owner of that content. He owns only the
physical copy, the manuscript itself. Ownership of the content remains with
the copyright
holder and does so until the copyright expires.

You say that the moment the copyright holder publishes a book he no longer
owns the content of that book. If you suppose that is true, I can only say
that you have no conception of what publishing means.

It doesn't matter in the slightest what the EFF may say on this matter and
certainly it matters not at all what advertisers trying to sell a product
claim.
It is utterly absurd to suppose that a copyright holder loses ownership of
what he wrote simply because it has been published. It is equally absurd to
suppose he loses ownership, but yet retains control of copying rights
simply because of copyright. Copyright itself is what confers ownership.
The author gets a copyright precisely to establish ownership and therefore
control of copying.

Until you and others understand these basic facts, you will go on with this
silly business of constantly bad-mouthing copyright - and doing that
because you
live in some fantasy world in which you suppose that anything published
belongs to anyone who buys a copy.

Gene

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