Patrick's Place

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Saturday 6

1. You discover that someone at another website has copied some of your site’s content, word for word, retitled it as if it were something he or she created, and did not provide any link to your site. How would you handle things?

I'd be pissed, and I'd probably leave a nasty comment, but I'd probably let it slide. I'm too lazy to do anything. Perhaps I shouldn't say that, since I've done the copyright notice on all my blogs. ;-)
Actually, it would totally depend on whether it was a meme or not. I'm less worried about one of my meme answers being copied than something I created myself (as in, questions that I wrote, or text). And, truthfully, I have found stuff copied into spamsites, so CBA rules the day!

2. When someone publishes or creates something original — writing, artwork, music, etc. — how long do you think is a reasonable amount of time for copyright protection to be provided: for a set period of time, for the life of the author, or for a period of time that extends beyond the author’s life to cover his heirs?

I definitely think copyright should extend through the author's lifetime. After that, the heirs should be able to extend it as long as they want as long as they retain ownership. In other words, once Michael Jackson bought the Beatle's catalog, the clock should have started counting down from there, quickly, with no renewals. It has always pissed me off that he was making money off John Lennon's talent. And really--why CAN catalogs be purchased when their creators are still alive and interested in owning the rights?

3. If you find a piece of artwork, photography or music that no longer has copyright protection (i.e., has moved into "public doman") and you modify or perform it in a unique way, do you feel that you should receive copyright protection despite the fact that it started as public domain material?

No. No no no.

4. Should people be allowed to download music, television shows or movies freely from the web without paying the copyright holders? If not, who should be punished in such cases: the downloader, the sites that provide the material, or both?

I have great conflict in this area and don't really know the answer.

5. Take the quiz: How do you do in the Five Factor Values Test?

My previous results are here Because they are three years old, I've redone the test:

You are Honest, Loyal, Generous and Tolerant

Loyalty: You value loyalty a fair amount. You're loyal to your friends... to a point. But if they cross you, you will reconsider your loyalties. Staying true to others is important to you, but you also stay true to yourself. Honesty: You value honesty a fair amount. You're honest when you can be, but you aren't a stickler for it. If a little white lie will make a situation more comfortable, you'll go for it. In the end, you mostly care about "situational integrity." Generosity: You value generosity a fair amount. You are all about giving, as long as there's some give and take. Supportive and kind, you don't mind helping out a friend in need. But you know when you've given too much. You have no problem saying "no"! Humility: You don't really value humility. You don't have much to be humble about! And you might as well promote yourself, because no one else will. You're a pretty special person, and you let everyone know it. Tolerance: You value tolerance a fair amount. You are open to new cultures, beliefs, and ideas. You have very few prejudices that you're aware of. And while you are tolerant, you do stand true to what you believe.

The Five Factor Values Test

There are a couple of changes, but nothing unexpected, really, except the bit about humility--WTF? I'm totally not like this, but I don't like false modesty either.

6. You produce a movie or television show and discover that a third party is reselling copies of your work that have been edited to remove content they find inappropriate. Would you allow them to continue to do so, or would you take legal action against them to stop them from altering your work?

Legal action. Jeez, is it really that hard to ask permission? I'd've probably given it! Note that in this fantasy, I'd have lawyer do the actual work. ;-)