Don’t these two principles: freedom of speech and copyright protection contradict each other?

Question

Why should a copyright holder have such power over when his or her words are used by another? What is the big deal over copyright? Is it really fair in light of our Freedom of Speech?

An example of what i was getting at is when people sing happy birthday someone out there is suppose to be paid for that because it is copyrighted. When it is used on tv in a show or a movie you have to pay a royalty in order to sign that song. Doesn’t this interfere with our freedom of speech?

Answer 1

No, they are mutually exclusive to each other.

Copyrights protect ideas.

Answer 2

I think the two are unrelated. Simply put: if you come up with an idea, I think it's safe to say you should profit from it. Copyright secures your ability to do this. If their were no copyright, then there would be less incentive to invent new things. Some things that are copyrighted took years to develop and create, all of that cost money. Once you've delivered the end result, and made all the mistakes getting their, anyone can copy your methods and yield a better profit because they just get the answer handed to them on a platter, whereas you worked for it.

Consider this: ~1950 the US had about the best infrastructure the world over, new bridges, telephone line. Over time we got internet lines first, etc... Other countries saw our methods, and now many have more up to date systems. They were able to implement these cheaper because we created demand for the equipment, we pioneered the techniques to implement them. Other countries just took our solution and ran with it, and avoided any mistakes we made.

Answer 3

The issues are totally separate. Freedom of speech gives us the right to express ourselves without repercussions from the Government. Copyright was conceived to protect original concepts and ideas from being stolen by those unscrupulous persons who would otherwise claim original works as their own. If you go to school for 5 years, study hard, write a thesis for a Ed.D/Ph.D. would you want some conniving person to infringe upon your ideas and possibly get paid for it? Probably not.

Answer 4

WOW, Huge difference.

Freedom of speech is your right to speak out against things in the world. In a creative context freedom of speech lets us create without limitations on content.

Copyright is the artists right not to have their work stolen by other people. Everyone needs to make a living right? Copying someones work is just pure lazyness, get permission.

Answer 5

speech refers to speaking and copyright refers to the written word, I would think.

Answer 6

not at all...some abstact concepts are considered "intellectual property", and to put forth a statement as "your own" when it really originated elsewhere is fraud.
"Happy birthday" is actually one many songs considered "public domain"....or "traditional"...with the writer unknown.

Answer 7

Sorry, but "freedom" of speech doesn't entitle you to intellectual theft.

Answer 8

You are guaranteed freedom from government interference in your free speech. This principle was added to the constitution to protect those who wanted to make a political protest from imprisonment or other action by the government.

Copyright is not about free speech; it is about property rights. If you built a car, would you want someone else to take it for a drive without your permission? If you made comforters, furniture - anything tangible, wouldn't you want the law to protect your rights to sell it on your own terms, and not have people just take it away from you? That's what copyright does for authors, musicians and other talented people who produce intangible goods.