http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=1710
Here are some one liners...
Ukraine: The Separation of Powers in Government -- Central Ukraine has become a semi-independent region under a military-style government. They have produced a constitution with a separation of powers between administrative, legislative and judicial branches. It is a stretch to say it is an early example of democracy, but its a start.
The Copyright Act is Passed -- The Statute of Ann offers copyright protection for 21 years and makes it a government function to enforce it. I talk about the copyright law that makes criminals out of most people nowadays.
Ukraine: The Separation of Powers in Government
The Hetmanate region in central Ukraine has approved a constitution outlining a separation of powers into Legislative, Administrative and Judicial branches. The constitution was written by the Ukrainian Cossack named Philip Orlick (actually: Pylyp Orlyk), a military leader and diplomat who has been recently elected Hetman, the first officer, one step below a king or prince. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
OK, let's not get too excited. The Hetman State of the 18th century was about as independent as Hungary was in 1956 right before Soviet tanks came rolling into Republic Square. Peter the Great considered the Hetman region to be a military state to be dealt with right after Sweden. Russia was in a war with Sweden and the King of Sweden just LOVED the Hetman State. He loved anything that tipped over Peter the Great's applecart. A hetman is like a military governor so comparing the Ukrainian constitution (which defined a military government with most rights granted to the Cossack elite) as something equivalent to the United States Constitution is a stretch, but it's a start. [7]
OK, let's not get too excited. The Hetman State of the 18th century was about as independent as Hungary was in 1956 right before Soviet tanks came rolling into Republic Square. Peter the Great considered the Hetman region to be a military state to be dealt with right after Sweden. Russia was in a war with Sweden and the King of Sweden just LOVED the Hetman State. He loved anything that tipped over Peter the Great's applecart. A hetman is like a military governor so comparing the Ukrainian constitution (which defined a military government with most rights granted to the Cossack elite) as something equivalent to the United States Constitution is a stretch, but it's a start. [7]
The Copyright Act is Passed
The Statute of Anne (that is, The Copyright Act under Queen Anne of England) is passed into law in 1710. It is the first law to make copyright enforcement a government responsibility. Printers are copying books without compensating the author. Since the public good depends upon authors writing books, and authors have the expectation of compensation, violators are fined one penny per page (which adds up fast) provided that the author has registered his work with the government copyright office first. This allows a printer to check for copyright protection before running off a copy of a book. The period of protection extends for 21 years. [8] [9] [10]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
The United States passed its first copyright law in 1790. It allowed protection for 14 years with an option for an additional 14 years if the author was still alive. Years later the law added a criminal penalty for a public performance of a work for profit without permission. Then copyright was extended to 28 years with an option for renewal. Europe followed a stricter standard so in order to normalize copyright standards, the USA extended copyright to 70 years after the death of the author. This has created a strange protection for dead authors whose works have some value but are treated as if they had created Disney's Mickey Mouse. (I think I can hear the zombie of Walt Disney kicking in my front door right now.) If I scanned two pages of a book and put it on the Internet, I would be a criminal even if I gave credit to the author. The FBI will also put me in prison if I dare make an archive copy of a DVD THAT I BOUGHT. Fair use copy rules are so complex that it would be a miracle if I haven't already violated the rules. The only reason that I am not on my way to Devil's Island right now is that thousands and thousands of people are doing the same thing so I am lost in the noise... until I come under scrutiny for something else... like running for public office. [11]
The United States passed its first copyright law in 1790. It allowed protection for 14 years with an option for an additional 14 years if the author was still alive. Years later the law added a criminal penalty for a public performance of a work for profit without permission. Then copyright was extended to 28 years with an option for renewal. Europe followed a stricter standard so in order to normalize copyright standards, the USA extended copyright to 70 years after the death of the author. This has created a strange protection for dead authors whose works have some value but are treated as if they had created Disney's Mickey Mouse. (I think I can hear the zombie of Walt Disney kicking in my front door right now.) If I scanned two pages of a book and put it on the Internet, I would be a criminal even if I gave credit to the author. The FBI will also put me in prison if I dare make an archive copy of a DVD THAT I BOUGHT. Fair use copy rules are so complex that it would be a miracle if I haven't already violated the rules. The only reason that I am not on my way to Devil's Island right now is that thousands and thousands of people are doing the same thing so I am lost in the noise... until I come under scrutiny for something else... like running for public office. [11]
This Year in Wikipedia
Year 1710, Wikipedia.
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