Re:Some copyright is good (heresy, heresy!) (Score 1)

The value of copyright (conceptually) cannot be disputed. It is intended for protection of the "native author" (- Encyclopedia Britannica) and has nearly been agreed upon internationally.

The Statute of Anne, passed in England in 1710, was a milestone in the history of copyright law. It recognized that authors should be the primary beneficiaries of copyright law; it also established the idea that such laws should have only limited duration, after which works could pass into public domain. The designated period came to be set at 28 years. Similar laws were enacted in Denmark (1741), the United States (1790), and France (1793). Through the 19th century most civilized countries established laws that protected the work of native authors.

However, in practice today, copyrights are used more and more as a means to beat back the creativity and ability to acquire information of others. (Search back in Slashdot for the story about "For Dummies".)