Mac Musings
Third Voice and Copyright
Dan Knight and Larry Rosenstein - 1999.06.15
I received the following email from Larry Rosenstein in response to Hands Off My Site. He raises some good points which those interested in the Third Wave debate should consider.
The letter is printed as received with no further editorial comment.
I don't like the idea that anyone with the right software can come to my site and leave a note for anyone else using Third Voice.
Phrased this way, it sounds as if they are modifying your site or leaving information on your server. But that's not the case at all. All Third Voice does is change the way the browser displays web pages, such that they include annotations.
stay away or create your own counter-site, but don't vandalize my pages.
How can you call it vandalize if none of your data changes. Is it also vandalizing if someone changes their browser to display text in a strange font or turns off graphics?
I hereby request that Third Voice respect the copyright and integrity of my web site - both the textual content and visual appearance - by blocking any Third Voice user from posting notes
The problem with this is that you are making your web pages freely available on the internet. If I download one of your pages, I'm free to do whatever I want with it on my computer. In particular, I don't have to display it in any particular format or even display it at all.
There are limitations of course. I can't repost your content, which would be a copyright violation. And I can't abuse your servers (eg, making repeated requests), which would be a theft of service. But Third Voice does neither of these things.
A good analogy is broadcast TV. TV stations send out their content freely to anyone who wants to receive it. But after having done so, they cannot prevent someone from taping a show and editing out the commercials when they watch the show. Then can't even prevent someone from archiving the edited shows and watching them over and over.
If you object to Third Voice changing the way IE presents a web page, then do you object to VCRs that can edit out commercials? How about the ability browsers have to turn off images (including banner ads)? How about a browser for the visually impaired that reads the page. How about a proxy server that summarizes a user-requested page for display on a PDA?
(As an extreme case, consider Virtual PC. It takes a copyrighted Windows program and on the fly translates it into Power PC code. In some sense this is exactly what Third Voice does.)
While I can understand why webmasters would be against the Third Voice technology, realistically I don't see how anyone can argue against the technology on legal grounds. Not only isn't there a copyright violation, but there is also grounds under fair use for people to produce commentary about copyrighted material.
I don't think the company has any legal or moral obligations to install an opt-out system, although it might be their best interest to do so. Since they manage the storage of annotations, they need to take care of things that are inappropriate. And they should provide a way to see what annotations are attached to a site for people who can't use their plugin. (Of course the next step is to allow webmaster to request that an annotation be removed, but this raises other issues.)
This is just another example of a brand new issue raised by a brand new technology. And it won't be the last.
Larry Rosenstein
Join us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
Dan Knight has been using Macs since 1986, sold Macs for several years, supported them for many more years, and has been publishing Low End Mac since April 1997. If you find Dan's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Recent articles by Dan Knight
- Kill Caps Lock, but Leave the Rest of My Keyboard Alone (Mostly), 2012.02.03. It's too easy to hit Caps Lock by accident, but why change a keyboard layout that billions of users are comfortable with?
- Is This RIM's Macintosh Moment?, 2012.01.25. In 1996, Apple was in dire straits, but Steve Jobs redefined the company. Now it's do or die time for RIM.
- Saying Good-bye to Inkjet Printers, 2012.01.18. Apple has discontinued its $100 printer rebates, but even a free inkjet printer is false economy.
- More in the Mac Musings index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: Mac IIfx, introduced 1990.03.19. This 'wicked fast' 40 MHz Mac trumped the 33 MHz DOS world.
- February 14 in LEM history: 98: A perfect compact Mac - 00: Extended computer warranties worth the cost? - Making your PC work with your Mac - 01: Customize Microsoft Word - 02: Quadra revives a passion for computing - 03: Real world performance - DIY Pismo screen replacement - Best Mac for writing - 03: Fastest browser on the Mac - 06: 15" MacBook Pro - Impressions of a newly acquired Lisa - Finding and using free WiFi - Apple should liberate OS 9 - 07: New Mac mini cheaper than upgrading a Power Mac - 08: Falling in love with OS X
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Fix Home Button Delay, Tablet the Ultimate Mobile PC, iPad Notebook a Possibility, and More, iOS News Review, 2012.02.10. Also using your iPad at work, two photo editors, a new iPad text editor, Macally's magnetic iPad 2 stand, and more.
- White MacBook Goes End-of-Life, Logitech Touch Mouse Supports Gestures, Firmware Updates, and More, The 'Book Review, 2012.02.10. Also MacBook Air better than any Ultrabook, docks for MacBook Pro models, Intel offers improved SSDs, and more.
- Mac and iOS Browsers: Options Galore, Freeware Forum, 2012.02.10. Safari is adequate on Mac and great on iOS, but the range of good alternatives is stunning. LEM writers share their favorites.
- Apple's Support Lead Shipping, Smartphones Outsell PCs, OS X Ported to ARM by Intern, and More, Mac News Review, 2012.02.10. Also the power of Tex-Edit Plus, Google and Twitter are already censoring the Web, Snow Leopard Security Update, and more.
- LogMeIn: Remote Screen Sharing for the Rest of Us, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2012.02.09. Configuring the Mac's built-in screen sharing to work over the Internet can be difficult or impossible. LogMeIn makes it easy.
- 15 Years Ago Motorola Unveiled the PowerPC G3, Low End Mac Round Table, 2012.02.06. The G3 processor was optimized for real world Mac software and made a big leap forward in efficiency.
- Don't Kill Caps Lock, Learning to Love the iOS Keyboard, and an Adaptive iPad Keyboard, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2012.02.06. The Caps Lock key has a useful function, the iPad's keyboard really is useful, and checking out an adaptive keyboard for the iPad.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best 17" MacBook Pro Deals
- Best iPod classic Deals
- Best eMac Deals
- Best MacBook Air Deals
- Best iBook G4 Deals
- Best iPad Deals
- Best Classic Mac OS Deals
- Best Apple TV Deals
- More deals in our archive.
About LEM Support Usage Privacy Contact
Follow
Low End Mac on Twitter
Join Low End Mac
on Facebook
Low End Mac Reader Specials
TypeStyler 11 is now in the Mac App Store!! -- Special Introductory Price of $59.95!! -- To Buy From The Mac App Store Click Here Now!! Or buy direct
from Strider Software.
Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker and Mac Casino applications in minutes.
Favorite Sites
MacSurfer
Cult of Mac
Shrine of Apple
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac Museum
DealMac
Deal Brothers
Mac2Sell
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End Mac FAQ
Affiliates
Amazon.com
The Apple Store
The iTunes Store
PC Connection Express
GainSaver
Parallels Desktop for Mac
eBay
