[fc-uk-discuss] Public Domain is a Crime

[Crosbie Fitch]

> From: Rob Myers
> One of the things we need to work out for PD Burn is whether  
> digitally encoding or restoring old analogue material attracts  
> copyright. If it does, DVDs of PD material might still attract  
> copyright, even if unintentionally. I am not a lawyer, I don't  
> understand this area at all.

If you walk into Woolworths and buy a CD of "Great 78s from the 20s -
remastered". Even if the original 78rpm recordings are public domain, the CD
is not. You would infringe copyright if you copied the CD. You have to find
one of those rare 78s and make your own copy.

This is why the public domain is crap in terms of securing stuff for the
future. Whilst copyright remains, you have to use CC-SA or GPL if you want
to ensure people can always have free access to work intended for the PD.