Frequently Asked Questions

Posted by Matthew Bendert in Uncategorized on May 17 2007

Q. I think there is a typo in you’re name. Shouldn’t
it be “Copyright: the magazine”?

A. No. “Copyleft” is a term used by a range of open
source, fair use, and anti-copyright activists to
show that they do not support the current copyright
regime. It is a play-on-words, highlighting the fact
that most of the above listed activist types tend to
be left-leaning on the political spectrum.

Q. So wait, are you some sort of
commie-anarchist-hacker group?

A. First off, “anarchists” by their very nature do
not do well in groups, so that part can be thrown out
right now. There ARE people who would like to
classify us as communists, neo-Marxists, hacker-class
warriors and the like. In reality, we just want what
most people want: free (as in “no strings attached”)
access to the music, movies, books and other items
that we PAID for. It isn’t our fault that there are
music, movie and software industry groups that have
become so out-of-touch with their own customers that
they think we’ll put up with whatever they try to
force down our throats.

Q. But don’t you advocate stealing music, software
and movies on this site?

A. No. You can’t steal something that does not
physically exist. While we are not giving legal
advice here, it is clear that copyright holders do not
actually own anything except the right to distribute a
work within certain legal limitations. Once that
copyright is up, then a work goes into the public
domain, where it can be freely distributed. However,
the work is not OWNED by anyone person or entity, just
the right to create and distribute copies. What we
advocate is the free sharing of information and a fair
application of copyright law.

Q. Will you give me legal advice on this letter I got
from the RIAA?

A. Sorry, we report the news. Personally, I’d go
find a lawyer and ask them for advice.

For more information on what Copyleft: the magazine is all about, see our About Us page.