- Property Rights on the Net -

On May 15 I´m going to have a presentation on "Property Rights on the Net".
Relating to my research I´ve done so far you´re going to read some important facts about digital property.
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Introduction

With the overwhelming development of the internet new discussions on immaterial goods have emerged. The digitalisation of information and their spread through the cyberspace makes it possible to copy and sale them.

Advocates and opponents of property rights are confronted with the question whether private internet users should have free access to digital information.
Would it make sense if copyrights did protect immaterial goods on the net or should digital goods like software or music data remain free for everyone?

The Problem of Digital Property

All types of digital information that are available on the net belong to the ongoing debate on digital property rights. As you may know, various contents of music, software and written documents are therefore under discussion.
Basically, big companies and a huge number of privte internet users are confronted with the problem of copyright. Whereas companies like Sony or Jive Records don´t want internet users to have free access to digital information on the net, advocates of free digital information don´t want to be excluded from the possibilities the internet offers them.

Advocates of Copyright: "Property results from one´s own work." (J. Locke)

The reasons advocates of copyright give aim at the work and costs for transactions people have when they produce something. Their arguments go back to John Locke and his theory of property. Like him they argue that the production of a certain good requires a great deal of physical and/or intellectual energy. Relating to this fact it is justified being entitled to property.

Another advocate of property rights is called Douglas C. North who is also famous for the "Property Rights Theory". He is of the opinion that people tend to increase the economy of their country. The material goods they need for the manufacturing processes are rare. That´s why property rights are necessary to guarantee further productions. North says that manufacturers will be motivated, if they are given property rights by the state. This motivational effect leads then to a more effective economy growth in general and supports the prosperity of a nation.

Opponents of Copyright - Copyleft:" Information wants to be free".

Actually computer programmers were the first who were affected by licenses on the net. In 1985 Richard Stallmann founded the Free Software Foundation for the public benefit. As a important opponent of copyright he coined the word "copyleft"and enacted the General Public License (GPL). Software that is provided with this license needs to be freely accessible to everyone on the net.

Advocates of copyleft say that the spread of immaterial goods on the net serves as a important brick of a society. The freedom of information is a human right which is to be appreciated by every user of the internet. People would be excluded from education and also lose their anonymity, if they had to pay for dgital goods.
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You´ll get further information about this topic in class.

- Neuer Ansturm auf die MLU -

Am 22.04.2006 war es wieder soweit - die diesjährigen Absolventen feierten ihren letzten Schultag ausgiebig auf der Peißnitz in Halle. Angesichts der unüberschaulichen Massen inmitten lauter Musik und vieler leerer Flaschen kam mir die Frage auf, wie die Uni die zahlreichen Neubewerber im kommenden Semester wohl verkraften wird.

In Zeiten leerer Kassen, überfüllter Vorlesungen und mangelnder Lehrangebote wird der Ruf nach Studiengebühren wohl nicht verschwinden, auch wenn dieser Vorschlag durch die Große Koalition vorerst nicht umgesetzt wird.

Bleibt also abzuwarten, wie sich die teils katastrophalen Bedingungen im Unihaushalt weiter entwickeln und Gelder endlich da eingesetzt werden, wo man sie dringend benötigt.