finnegan%uci-750a@sri-unix.UUCP (08/17/84)
From: Greg Finnegan <finnegan@uci-750a>
Re:
- Jack Williamson & somebody else, @i(Wall Around a Star) and its
- predecessor or successor.
-
- Matter transmitters are indeed duplicators. They are expensive
- enough that there is (usually) one person per planet and so they
- don't change society. I add these novels for the sake of
- completeness and don't particularly recommend them. They do allow
- for 'editing' so you might want to give them a try.
---------
The book is by Jack W. and Fredrick Pohl. But what makes the book interesting
is the fact that only copies of the source are transmitted, that is, the
object is not physically displaced.
This becomes interesting when the person sends a copy of himself to
some far off world. The copy would have the same physical characteristics
(unless they decide to alter them), not to mention the same emotions, political
beliefs, etc. This can lead to serious episodes with (ex?) loved ones and old
friends. So what about bank accounts, taxes, and authorship -- does each copy
receive credit, the copy and the original (since he was responsible for the
copy in the first place), or just the copy himself?.
And do copies need permission from the original to make copies of themselves
(copyright infringement?); and what do you call each copy -- John ver. 1.0,
John ver. 1.1; and what about....
This may be the law practice of the future.
Greg (finnegan@uci-750a)
(I'm still waiting for a matter transmitter at my local ski resort
--- "what lift lines?")