Words as Ammunition in the "Copyright Wars"

Thursday April 5, 2012
12:00 to 2:00 pm
Words as Ammunition in the “Copyright Wars”
DCAL, 102 Baker Library

Roundtable discussion with William Patry, based on his book  "Moral Panics and the Copyright Wars", joined by Denise Anthony, Barbara DeFelice, Christiane Donahue, and Tom Luxon. Registration required on the DCAL Sign-up page.

Lunch and book provided with registration. Open to Dartmouth College students, faculty and staff.

Abstract

"Piracy", "stealing", "protection",  and "theft" are among the words used as ammunition in the copyright wars that are being waged with more intensity since the advent of digital information technologies.  What do those words really mean and why are they used in discussions of what are really business and legal transactions, not moral issues?

In his book "Moral panics and the copyright wars", William Patry describes the way words have been used to create a sense of fear of new ways of using and sharing information in the digital age. Patry argues that in the case of copyright, many of the words commonly used only serve to confuse people and mask the real issues, which concern business transactions and a fight for customers and customer control.

To truly engage in productive discussions of copyright and to influence future developments, it is critical to first understand the words that have been used for centuries in the "copyright wars", and then to develop a new and more accurate vocabulary.