Sunday, June 03, 2007
Scrobbled

As I come to the end of another week of travelling, I was amused by the latest addition to Dan O’Connor’s Department of Neologisms, the noun ‘Scrobbleizer’ , which is apparently a tool that automatically creates a list of your favourite well-paid corporate bloggers. God forbid that I should ever be scrobbleized.

In other news I was interested to read this by blogger Robert Nagle on the attractions, and disattractions, of the current crop of eReaders, focusing on the Sony device.

And finally, despite the initial sensation of shabbiness that attached itself to me after the Google heist at Bookexpo on Friday, I have been buoyed by the support of the blogging community, for example in the comments on this blog here, as well as here and here. Although I have to admit I haven’t Scrobbleized them yet.

PS. Just found this link on The Register with 24 comments to date, mostly, but not all, supportive. One guy wants me to be banned from the USA for the crime. It could be worse. 

 

#    |  Comments [4]  | 
6/5/2007 4:44:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
I was going to leave a comment on the Register but having read the others I thought I might be in danger of missing the mark!

What you did was great. Corporate America takes itself way too seriously. When I worked for a major US Corporation I was told, as a VP, I could paint my office in Houston in whatever colour I liked. So I did, I painted it pink. It almost caused a transatlantic rift. "Nobody said what colour I couldn't paint it." It was my version of the google heist!
Richard Havers
6/6/2007 5:24:40 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
I agree corporate America takes itself too seriously. But this wasn't even a good prank. Alleged copyright infringement versus confessed theft? A good prank is one thing. An illogical prank devoid of humor is another.

See more on why I am right at http://livinginfirstlife.wordpress.com/2007/06/06/book-publishers-steal-laptop-web-20-hysteria-spills-over-into-old-media/
Living in First Life Dos
6/6/2007 9:03:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Devoid of humour? How so?

It seems to me that Richard's 'prank' was precisely what we need to get this issue talked about. Having read your post I don't propose picking it apart but would take strong issue with one particular bit. You say. "First, intellectual property rights are not the same as physical property rights." Of course you are technically correct but the potential for damage and loss are very similar. You go onto say "intellectual property is intangible while physical property is tangible"

Unless I'm very much mistaken the books that I write, my 'intellectual property', are very tangible. They sell (sometimes) for money in shops and on the internet. If they are not sold and someone has the ability to get my 'intellectual property' for free then that could amount to theft. My rights are infringed and I would be just as unhappy as if someone had stolen my iPod. One that is full of music that I had paid money for, unlike some who download illegally and steal from the owners of that area of intellectual copyright.
Richard Havers
6/7/2007 6:48:50 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
I posted a response to http://livinginfirstlife.wordpress.com/ yesterday but it (unlike this one) is moderated and the comment has still to show on the site. Perhaps the anonymous blogger didn't like my response because it contradicted his views. Thanks, Richard, for your support.
richard charkin