Lawyer of Boston

My Mom's Making History: The Story of Computer Software, Copyrights and Creativity

Description

This is the story of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Whelan v. Jaslow that confirmed use of the copyright laws to protect computer software and defined the scope of this protection. It begins with an essay written by Christie Whelan when she was a student at Germantown Academy that tells of the impact this case had on her family and the world. It continues on with the extraordinary details of how this case developed and then goes back in time to the history and purpose of copyrights as developed by the brilliant thinking of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The postscript brings together the thoughts of others on this case as well as the current issues of protection, piracy, fair use and the public domain.

As a society, we want to reward creativity and assure that it will continue, we want free and open access to ideas and new possibilities, and we want to benefit from a wide choice of books, music, art, science, inventions and now computer software and the Internet. As in many other instances, the basic rules provided in our Constitution by our founding fathers have served us well. In any debate and any resolution of conflicting goals, we must remember the purpose of laws to protect intellectual property is to "promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries."

Reviews

Rating: 1 / 5
Date: 2008-10-18
Summary: "Before you make the mistake of buying this book....."

There is another side of the story, regarding this book. Please take a moment to read this before shelling out your money for it.

This book is a combination of a stolen essay, reprinted without permission, a long diatribe about one woman's suffering through a court case which is retold through badmouthing alot of people, and several pages of various, loosely related quotes on the subject of intellectual property ("IP") and copyright (found mostly through internet search, and not necessarily submitted by the original author of the quotes).

The sad thing is, this book is positioned as an inspirational story about protecting copyrights and intellectual property in a time when people go online to steal music and download movies illegally. And you might be looking at this book as an investment in teaching your kids right from wrong. But really, its not written that way. There's no critical thinking here, and i wouldn't say it's written to a 8-13 year old audience. I would just say that it is a lengthy woe-is-me session on how one woman and her small business were basically ruined because someone stole IP from her, and she decided to retaliate in her golden years by publicly throwing them under her bus (in the form of a book).

I can tell you all of this because it was my essay which was stolen and reprinted without my permission, and it was my image used to adorn the front cover also without my permission, against my wishes, and too late to be changed. Elaine Whelan, a shameless self-promoter and narcissist, elected to advance her own reputation at the expense of her daughter's privacy and dignity.

The cost of litigating this violation is higher than any damages I would receive, otherwise I would rightfully have put a stop to this joke of a book years ago.

Please, please, do not reward this woman, who felt entitled to write a book on copyright and then had the audacity to covertly misappropriate her daughter's essay and image in order to further her own pathetic agenda. By not receiving permission to reprint the essay and use the image, and not paying for the rights to use either, she actually had to steal IP to even produce this book. If this doesn't define irony, I don't know what does.

---

Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2006-07-25
Summary: "A thought provoking book"

I borrowed this book from a friend and then decided to buy it for myself.
It's good, sound, and filled with creativity. I suggest that you buy it for good reading.
The family can certainly benefit.

---

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2003-03-06
Summary: "Thoughtful Discourse for Our Times"

This book should be required reading for anyone who owns tapes, CDs, or computer software. After reading this book, gaining the knowledge of our nation's copyright laws, and following the author's exploits, I don't see how anyone would be able to copy and distribute a tape or computer software ever again.
This is a wonderful book. I love its size, non-intimidating for middle schoolers, easy to carry. The language is just right, expressing lofty ideas and concepts, but written understandably yet without talking down to the audience. And especially for this age group, I like the way the events are personalized as if the author were writing a private letter to the reader. The reader is able to identify with the cause as if the reader knew the author personally, and thus identify with the principles found in the book.
I love the cover and with the author's daughter prominently featured. By featuring Christie and her essay, it shows how even a small assignment can provide the kernel of an idea that leads to much bigger things, such as a book's being published and many people being educated. An important message for young people. While the book is targeted towards young people, anyone can benefit from its message.