Re: AIS: Copyrights

From: John Montgomery <monashee@junction.net>

There is a great reluctance on the part of established organizations,
whether corporations or non-profit societies to enter the 'information
age'. Should we not be making a distinction here between copyrighted work
which is a result of some creative work and that which is merely a
collection of information? 

If I were the czar of the AIS, I would want the information in the
checklists to be available to every breeder, grower and retailer of iris. I
think it is totally wrong-headed to consider the information in the
checklists as information to be kept in the hasnds of a relatively few
people. Make the information available to everyone and it just might reduce
the problem of mis-identified plants in commerce and mis-labelled ones in
gardens. It will not solve all problems but should help.

I still like books and can't keep my shelves from overflowing and I would
still like to have bound copies. They are however extremely clumsy to use
in any but a superficial way. I can search the lily registry in any old
which-way. I can extract those which I grow into a seperate smaller file
and attach photos to the entries. I do not know whether or not it has
affected the sales of the hard copy checklists but if it does, so what! I
would assume, it being a non-profit organization, that the books are sold
at the cost of production. It is absolutely ludicrous, I think, to charge
for access to the cheklists and equally bad to limit access to AIS members.
Without looking up the bylaws of the AIS, I imagine there is a preamble
which states a goal of promoting the enjoyment of, and spread knowledge of
the genus Iris. 

The AIS, useful as it is, should not be the reason for being, in and of
itself. It is simply a tool for promoting the enjoyment and culture of
Iris. As such it should welcome the internet as a long lost ally not with
suspicion. Never before have humans had such a tool for such fast and
democratic dispersal of information. It is odd that so many people have as
their mission the curtailment of it primary function.

Holding a copyright does not mean that the information can not be given
away freely. It can still be useful in the prevention of others from
modifying the information. 

Lets put everything we know where it is freely available to all. Holding
back secrets probably hurts the secretive person more than it does anyone
else. Share knowledge and it will come back to reward you in ways you have
not even dreamed of yet.

Sincerely
John montgomery
monashee@junction.net
Vernon  BC  Zone 5


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