[eu-gene] Psst...Wanna Buy an Algorithm? (Working Title)

[alex]

On Sun, 2005-10-16 at 12:43 +0100, Rob Myers wrote:
> So assuming that a generative *performance* has no fixed form and is  
> live, you couldn't claim copyright on it.

Ah, then I think this is where the disagreement lies.  In my view, the
sourcecode is the fixed form of the composition, which is performed by a
computer.  The sourcecode is the musical score, it just happens to have
if statements as well as loop constructs.

I think to state otherwise is to deny the programmer their rightful role
as a musician.

However, problems comes for me when I consider the relationship between
a musical work and a musical style...  A work is an instance of a style,
and both can be described in sourcecode.  There's danger here - it would
be too easy to sign away rights to your whole musical style by accident,
while selling rights to a particular composition.

I guess the trick is to keep your musical style in separate libraries
from the code relating to a particular work, and making the boundary
clear in contracts...


alex