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April 25, 2005

Copyright Holders Should Be Willing to Cher!

I
read the headline of this post--"Poverty-Fighter Edwards Still Mute on Bono"--and I thought, "Gee, I would assume that Senator Edwards likes U2 as much as the next guy." But then I realized that I had the wrong singer.

Like Ed Cone, I'd also be curious to know what Senator Edwards' position is on copyright extension, and why he hasn't said anything to date. The issue does seem ripe for a guy who's focusing on wealth-and-poverty issues.

Maybe I'll ask him next time I bump into him in the men's room at the office.

Posted by Eric at April 25, 2005 9:16 AM

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Comments

1: Bump in to him in the men's room? You're moving to Ames? :)

2: I wonder what'll happen if Erskine Bowles does become UNC system president? Edwards hurt Bowles's run last year by waiting till Sep 2003 before deciding not to run for re-election.

3: It's not the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act. It's the Protocols of the Eldreds of Burbank.

Posted by: Simon Spero at April 25, 2005 11:44 AM

Adam Curry has just praised John Edwards--appropriately, I thought--for being clueful enough to do a podcast. That's just one of the many examples of the better side of Prof. Edwards. It makes it all the more frustrating that he refuses to take a stand on anti-Net copyright laws.

Prof. Edwards of all people should understand the past, present and futures issues at stake here--the harm to school, libraries, consumers; all the billions at stake here. Two related URLs:


Prof. Edwards' UNC poverty center: No hirings announced so far–and a neat little copyright irony

http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=2777


Yo, Carolina poverty warriors! Lowdown on DRM and the Third World

http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=2776


Needless to say, I'd welcome an update from the john, lower-case j, pun intended. Will Prof. Edwards say something on Bono, the DMCA and other copyright-related atrocities? I voted for Kerry-Edwards last November and am disappointed by his continued silence after my having first tried many months ago to obtain a reply.


Remember, he bills himself as ready to try to answer "each and every question" on his podcasts, and he certainly had enough time on the occasion when I sent in a copyright-related question. Beyond that, keep in mind he was on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which deals with copyright matters among others. I would hope that the memories of the $900,0000+ in Hollywood money that then-Sen. Edwards' PAC received from one producer alone, early in the Presidential campaign, would not be influencing his judgment. All the more reason or Prof. Edwards to show that his populism does not stop with the mention of the C word!

Come on, Prof. E--I'm rooting for you do do the right thing and speak out on Bono and the rest.


Thanks,

David Rothman, for TeleRead.org

Posted by: David H. Rothman at May 15, 2005 7:34 PM