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Intellectual property Rights
siddiqui
06/02/03 at 13:20:58
[slm]
[quote]
http://www.wipo.org/about-ip/en/

Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.

Intellectual property is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs. Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of broadcasters in their radio and television programs.
[/quote]

Just wondering what are your thoughts about intellectual property rights in general as well as specific to Islaamic education and Dawah material


Re: Intellectual property Rights
siddiqui
06/02/03 at 17:29:20
[slm]
Okie here scenario 1
You see this awesome book on dawah(all based on quraan &Hadith) in the libarary, you want to photocopy it and use it as well as give it to your friends, you see a copy rights statement on the book,Its kind of expensive to buy and you are on a shoestring budget any ways

Will you photo copy the book?
or
Refrain?

Reasons please
[wlm]
Re: Intellectual property Rights
se7en
06/03/03 at 03:37:23
as salaamu alaykum,

the people who produce those books are probably in more need of our money than anyone else!  

not cool in my opinion.

w'Allah a'lam.

wasalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah
Re: Intellectual property Rights
Al-Basha
06/03/03 at 03:38:49
[slm]

Well how about having ppl chip in to buy the book, and then share it ?  ???


Or maybe if you buy in bulk?

Or convince the publisher to publish the book using cheap recycled paper  ;D
Re: Intellectual property Rights
theOriginal
06/03/03 at 03:57:52
[slm]

OMG...bro siddiqui you beat me to it....

(I'm sorry it took me so long)

Well here are some points to ponder guys....

1)  E = mc squared.  How come Einstein never had to copyright that?  At some point, until people began thinking it had morphed into fact, it was indeed, a 'creation of the mind'....

2) As Muslims, we should believe that we know only that which Allah lets us know.  And this knowledge should become communal, in order to allow for people to build on it.  The downside of course, is that innovation is (in theory, since all human beings are selfish) hindered.

3) Is education a divine right or a civil right?  Because if it is indeed a divine right,  then it should not be blocked by things like copyrights....

4) As an aside, many countries are beginning to turn to WIPO since the TRIPS nearly failed (WTO agreement on IP)....however, TRIPS has not been thrown out completely, because people seem to know how to use it in their favor.  

That was basically, what I was building on in a skeletal fashion....but perhaps this is best done together :)

Wasalaam..
Re: Intellectual property Rights
se7en
06/03/03 at 04:05:03
as salaamu alaykum,

interesting points sis.. but do you really think that when people photocopy books or make copies of nasheed/quran/lecture tapes they are doing it because they feel knowledge is a divine right to be shared with all?  or b/c they don't want to put forth the $?

when I visited the soundvision site, it was really sad to see bro dawud wharnsby ali kindly requesting ppl not to make illegal copies of his nasheed tapes.. the brother has a family to provide for.. and when ppl make illegal copies they are literally stealing from his earnings.

sorry for the harsh words.. just don't think it's right, especially to take from our own people who are trying to do something good and provide a service for the muslim community.

w'Allah a'lam.
06/03/03 at 04:08:30
se7en
Re: Intellectual property Rights
theOriginal
06/03/03 at 04:16:55
[slm]

That is the flip side.  Of course, none of this is black and white....and to set up really fair rules and guidelines would require a tremendous study on human behavior.  And that's sad...br. dawud is such a cool person, and he is making such a big effort for the Muslim community worldwide....

But there are people who simply cannot afford the cost of books and other educational material.  How many of us like paying 1000 dollars per year on textbooks.  And I'll be the first to say that I don't.

Plus, we are always arguing about how the greatest flaw muslims have is their lack of education. And that's just it...many developing countries do not have the capacity to subsidize educational material, and why shouldn't we make it available for them?

Honestly, I'm not sitting on one side of the fence...i just am hugely protective of education, since I believe it is one of the greatest institutions that Allah could have provided us with. (Alhumdulillah)

Wasalaam.
Re: Intellectual property Rights
Nabila
06/03/03 at 05:03:11
[slm]

You could write to the authour and asked for permission to copy statements from the book, if you say its for da'wah they'll probably be more than happy to let you!

Or then again, you could just buy copies :)

ma asalaamah and take care
Re: Intellectual property Rights
jannah
06/04/03 at 14:45:17
[wlm]

I think it's very important for Muslims especially to respect other's copyrights -- intellectual and creative. It's the only way for us to develop and create better resources. First, yes it's important for the one's that take the time and effort to be compensated for that. It's not like they are making millions, it's about supporting themselves and being able to build on that. Bro Dawud or anyone else can go out and get a corporate job like the rest of us to support his family, but he has creativity and talent and wants to do something Islamic. And there's no way you can tell me that someone can't afford a $5 tape because I know people that spend that much at mcdonalds but 'can't afford an islamic tape'.

Same as HY tapes.. those big sets are 'expensive' no doubt.. but do you think that they would ever be able to produce something like that and at that quality for free? would they be able to even have more lectures like that if not for the money the tapes help raise?

Also speaking specifically about copyrights, it's about the author being able to control what they created.  If someone writes a book or article they want to make sure it isn't being used in the wrong way or being changed.  I know for example when I didn't have a copyright on some of my articles people would take them, rewrite them and then publish them! and i definitely didn't agree with their changes and additions of wack comments and websites..

I think it's the communities responsibility to provide these things. Establish a masjid library or dawah center where people can come and read these things or even take them out.  There are many wealthy Muslims.. instead of punishing the poor people that try to write and produce things why don't we concentrate on getting wealthier muslims or even ourselves to buy and contribute these things to others among us.  

So my conclusion: no patronage, no arts..
so let's try to support our writers, speakers, song writers, etc by buying their books and tapes... and where there's a demand product and quanitity and quality goes up...


btw speaking of other countries.. did you know that arab countries are now importing western textbooks to teach in their schools... like that social studies textbook that teaches islam was spread by the sword etc...

why is that?  because muslims don't put the money, effort, and expertise to make their own that are in any way an alternative..
06/04/03 at 14:51:06
jannah
Re: Intellectual property Rights
Nomi
06/04/03 at 17:08:17
[slm] all

its really a nice topic and there are already few convincing comments from different point of views, its 2:11 AM here so i'm going to hit bed, but it'll be gr8 if all the rest of you also comment on this one.

Asim Zafar
PS: Sis Jannah: really good lines of reasoning but i dunno whether its practical or not !!


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