[mythtv-users] A new theme on the way...

[Christopher Meredith]

On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 1:26 PM, Robert McNamara
<robert.mcnamara at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 11:10 AM, Christopher Meredith
> <chmeredith at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> No modifications really means no modification + redistribution.
>> Fortunately, you can do whatever you want with your own copy. It's
>> called fair use. My response to anyone who tries to tell me I can't
>> make modifications of things for my own personal use: try and stop me.
>
> Whether I can stop you-- of course I can't.  Licensing of a free
> product relies on the integrity of those using the product.  If the
> license isn't something you can live with, then please don't download
> or use it.  Again, can I stop you?  Nope.  Does it make disregarding
> the license any more ethical?  Nope.  If there is a transaction
> between the author and the user, then my "payment" is respect for the
> terms under which I offer your something for your use, for free.

It's not an issue of ethics. It's an issue of fairness. If you're not
protecting a proprietary interest and I'm not intruding upon a
proprietary interest, what does it matter what I or anyone else does
with it? It is fundamentally unfair to tell someone they can have
something for "free," but they can't enjoy it as they please. It would
be completely unreasonable for me to write a book and give it away
with the condition that no one may read it in artificial light. If I
give away a book, I would intuitively understand that the recipients
to whom I make it available can do anything they want with it. They
can write in it, mark it up, take out pages, even burn it if they
want. That's what goes along with publicizing something. If I was so
artistically sensitive that I could not bear the thought of someone
"disrespecting" my unique artistic vision, it would be up to me to
keep it to myself.