Isaac Newton's Notes Digitized 92
First time accepted submitter nhstar writes with an excerpt from an article in the Register: "If you're looking for a bit of light reading this holiday season, Cambridge University is here to help: they've digitized and made available online over 4,000 pages of the pioneering scientist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton's most important works. 'Anyone, wherever they are, can see at the click of a mouse how Newton worked and how he went about developing his theories and experiments,' Cambridge University Library's digitization manager Grant Young told the BBC."
Re:Ah, the golden age... (Score:5, Insightful)
Being able to develop theories, without worrying some lawyer will come pounding on your door, claiming you are infringing this copyright or that patent.
Dear Sir, it would pleasure us if you would cease and desist with observations on gravity as our client holds the patent on Apples Falling From Trees And Striking A Person Upon The Head. Should you continue with in your present direction we shall have you summoned to the King's Court and sort you out. Dewey, Cheatham & Howe, LLP
Of course they had their battles, who stole an idea from who, but it was usually sorted out with a lot of yelling and smearing of reputation, rather than getting solicitors involved.
Yeah, it was so much better when the local bishop, who is family with the local nobility if not royalty, would excommunicate you, imprison you, or even torture/execute you for heresy because your scientific finds went against Catholic/christian doctrine.
Re:Ah, the golden age... (Score:5, Insightful)
He also became a significant political figure and sent more than a few people to the gallows. Not the sort of figure I'd want DMCA advocates knowing about, let alone emulating!
govt contracting + libraries (Score:4, Insightful)
the masses: we need digitize our books. google is doing it, why cant we?
library admin: i understand. let me find a vendor.
vendor a: our product costs 5 billion
vendor b: our product cost 8 billion, but we will give you kickbacks
vendor c: our product cost 3 billion
library admin: dear management, i need 8 billion dollars
management: wow cool. so we can be like a real business right? ive always wanted to play business man and make a profit
library admin: yes, we will own copyright on all materials, and our special interface will provide centralized control so we can keep out the riff raff
hippie: but arent you a taxpayer funded institution whose job is to disseminate information as efficiently as possible?
management: have the hippie shot
library admin: consider it done
4 years later...
library admin + manager: press release! our new surfable hierarchy tiered book access gateway (SHiTBAG) allows students all over the country to improve their lea blah blah blah blah blah
oracle sales manager: so, we are looking at a 4 year contract, and that will be 50,000 seats, so basically we are looking at 10 billion dollars
libray admin: awesome. the more money i am in control of, the more power i have inside the bureaucracy. ps, can i get an invite to your sweet conference in boca this year?
users: what the fuck is this shit? java plugin has crashed? please set your JAVA HOME? what the fuck is JAVA HOME?
users buddy: nevermind all that, let me show you this thing called 'bit torrent'