Would The US Extradite UK Blogger For Linking To Works In The Public Domain In Other

[RikuoAmero]

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120201/00455517613/would-us-extradite-uk-blogger-linking-to-works-public-domain-other-countries.shtml#comments

James Firth has an interesting post, talking about some of the more ridiculous consequences of current US law enforcement interpretation of copyright law. Looking at the case of Richard O'Dwyer, the computer science student that the US is getting closer to extraditing to the US to face criminal copyright infringement charges for merely linking to infringing works (something that had already been found legal in the UK multiple times), Firth takes it to its logical ends. He points out that George Orwell's works, Animal Farm and 1984 have gone into the public domain in South Africa, Canada or Australia. And thus, there are completely legal free copies of such works online. But they're only legal in those countries. In the US and the UK, both remain under the yoke of copyright thanks to copyright extensions.

This leads to a simple fear. If he merely pointed people to the location of these completely legal versions of the work, he would now be just as "guilty" as Richard O'Dwyer under the interpretation of the US Justice Department. After all, he is using a .com domain (American property, according to the stretched interpretation of the DOJ) to link to works that technically infringe in both the UK -- where he is -- and the US, where the DOJ has suddenly become the US entertainment industry's private police force.

This is creating a truly chilling effect on speech around the globe. The public domain is the public domain for a purpose, and it's somewhat insane to think that US actions are now chilling the mere discussion of where public domain works in other countries can be obtained completely legally in those countries.

[† Anras Rune]

No offence meant here, but America has gone batshit crazy imo. Taking way too many liberties is going to have consequences all in "defence of their nation and its interests". I understand that piracy is a nuisance, but the amount of money movies make is ridiculous. If this kid, and he is a fricking kid, is extradited, then the US government should go to Hell in their highchair. They really don't have the right to bully the UK into giving up a citizen over the Hollywood dickheads massize wallets.

The US has always said it was a defender of civil rights and liberty, but here they are acting like spoilt children. I don't mean as a whole of course, I mean the current government, or whoever it is that is making these ridiculous presumptions on international law. If it was legal in one country then why the fuss. I don't see them extraditing all the smokers of American pot from Britain. Meh, its a mess the whole situation.

[Strick9]

Don't knock the US. They have the best government money can buy.

[sali6435]

Don't knock the US. They have the best government money can buy.

.

Well at least this admin anyway, if it weren't for the next election this would not be happening. As it is now we have a president who has back stabbed the people and repeatedly given money to big buisness in the past all while saying how he supports the little guy. Now the whole world gets to see him for the crook he is.