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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by Jetrock My question is--when did Jack Valenti start doing PR for Union Pacific? Okay, so technically they have the right to do what they want with their trademark. But there's a difference between legal right and the right thing to do. There's a difference between the letter of the law and justice. Copyright law in this country is very much at odds with reality--it attempts to put artificial fences around ideas in order to maximize profit for the owner, but often has a deleterious effect on the market when applied in a fashion intended to maximize control rather than spreading ideas. Ideas seem to want to spread. Example given: The biggest single year of sales for compact discs in this country was the year before Napster was shut down, when trading of MP3's was at its height. I consider this to be no coincidence--trading of MP3's on an ad-hoc basis served as what may have been the most effective possible marketing strategy for advertising MP3's. But because this marketing was beyond the control of record companies, they attempted to suppress it, using some very heavy-handed tactics--and the end result, over the course of several years, has been a rapid drop in the sale of compact discs, because of the . All this is within the letter of the law in terms of copyright control--but it has only harmed the music business, not hepled it! UP's pursuit of copyright control is no different. They are acting within their right to protect their copyright, by the letter of current copyright law--but their action is having a negative effect and will end up costing them money and negative publicity as a result of their attempt to control ideas. Suppression and control of ideas is a losing proposition. Even if it's the law, that doesn't mean the law is right. [/quote] Yours is the attitude most people have until it is their copyright that is being infringed. Then their attitude changes... CD sales have not declined due to "suppression of this highly effective marketing technique" and "negative public image." People are still buying music of artists they really love. They are not refusing to buy because of the "notorious record companies." When is the last time you really heard someone say something to the effect of, "well, I'd really love to buy that new CD that my favorite artist has put out, but I'll be darned if I'm gonna give in to those big greedy record companies!" Not. If anything, CD sales have most likely declined because it's a lot easier and cheaper to download it. Also, more and more people are going to purely electronic formats such as mp3 download (legitimate ones such as iTunes) and using mp3 players. Also, don't forget eBay and Half.com, which most likely are not included in any sales figures you might see. I almost never buy a brand-spankin' new $15-$18 CD anymore. I get all of my CD music from eBay or Half.com. Why pay full retail when you can get a like-new copy for half price? I don't see your point with this whole "suppression of ideas" argument. This situation is really, really simple: UP has a copyrighted, trademarked logo, color scheme, etc. Manufacturers are using it without permission to make a profit. Very simple. It's a simple logo, not an "idea." You make it sound as if UP has discovered some clean, free energy source that they are hoarding away from the rest of the world. Please. Don't get me wrong, I despise corporate greed and, in fact, it is corporate America that, in my opinion, is ruining this country with its blatant greed (e.g. enron, worldcom), "outsourcing" and "restructuring" to foreign countries (i.e. the "jobless" recovery), lobbying for restrictions on the legal system (i.e. tort reform), etc. Corporate America stinks. Badly. But in this case, UP is correct.
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