"If you create an intellectual product, and I want to do something with it --
distribute it, or create a new work based on the original -- common decency
calls for me to *ask permission*. To do it anyway without asking is rude or
disrespectful, maybe even dishonest."
This is where we differ, at least on the surface of it. I think that it is unethical
to make people ask you permission after you publicly released something.
When I release a tune or a story or an invention, I do not aim to become a
tyrant, who, by virtue of his work now has the world grant him a positive
obligation.
The common decency you speak about is not common to me. To me making
people asking permission is being a jerk.
I release all my works under a CC0 license, although I would gladly live in a
non-copyright world, where I would not need to state any conditions. I see no
justification to make people ask me. They can do so, but they are not required
so.
And what is the reason to release something into the culture without making it
free to become part of that culture by default? I really don't get it. To me this
is like handing someone a candy, but never really letting it go.
How I have arrived to such a view is a whole different story, of course, and we can
debate the arguments I have, although I would take it off LAU maybe. It is sort of
music related though...
From what I have seen so far is that your own counter-argument basically rests on
an intuitive notion of "well this is wrong" which you seem to think everyone should
share. Well, I don't.
Anyway, if you are interested, we can debate, if not, I did enjoy learning your
position on the matter and consider this to have been a very pleasant conversation on
a pretty complicated philosophical issue.
L.V.