DORJE (FREE VERGE) – In a punitive innovation repugnant to all civilized polities, Corporate Fejj-Doval (a major corpclan on Dorje, an associate world of the Rim Free Zone, specializing in deprecated media) has posted the mind-state of one Parden il Vrane par tak, formerly par Fejj-Doval, for public extranet download. Fejj-Doval alleges that il Vrane had been maintaining a blacknet publishing intellectual property held by them, although in accordance with Dorjan custom, they were not required to demonstrate this in order to secure an arrest order against il Vrane, and goes on to state that in accordance with the principle that “he who obstructs trade becomes trade”, he who appropriates their intellectual property becomes their intellectual property, to dispose of as they will.
It is estimated that up to eight million copies of il Vrane’s mind-state have been downloaded thus far.
While no official action has yet been taken by any star nation of the Worlds in response to the condemnation of Corporate Fejj-Doval by the Conclave of Galactic Polities, the Warden-Bastion Compact of private law providers, and treaty bodies in the Free Zone, at the time of writing no fewer than seven sequestered claims-of-responsibility have been deposited with Imperial banking institutions (most under 24 year expiration-disclosure) for eleemosynary hunter-killer worms designed to euthanize non-self authorized il Vrane instances.
– from the Independent Worlds Router, early 7131
The concept of someone’s mind-state becoming public and being copied countless times without their consent reminds me of Lena by Sam Hughes.
Edit: Also it says eight million copies have been downloaded. I wonder how much that number spikes once you consider rehosts of the downloads, and the rehosts of the rehosts, and the rehosts of the rehosts of the rehosts etc. Plus if you’re the type to download a mindstate to use as a slave/test subject/torture victim/whatever I highly doubt you would be the type to stop at only one instantiation.
so much for natural rights, at least on Dorje
Corporate Fejj-Doval would probably argue that il Vrane forfeited those rights when he pirated their intellectual property and in a sense they have a point. It’s generally accepted that if you commit a crime the local government has the right to punish you by taking away your stuff to recompense those you harmed (forfeiting of the right to property), imprisoning you as punishment or to keep society safe from you (forfeiting of the right to liberty), and if the crime is heinous enough, execution (forfeiting of the right to life). Even the imperials do it, if someone violates the rights laid out in the Fundamental Contract it’s accepted that they forfeit the rights the Contract would otherwise afford them. It’s just that Corporate Fejj-Doval went way, way, oh holy fucking shit what the fuck overboard in this case as far as anyone with an even slightly reasonable sense proportionality is concerned.
It’s just that Corporate Fejj-Doval went way, way, oh holy fucking shit what the fuck overboard in this case as far as anyone with an even slightly reasonable sense proportionality is concerned.
you got that right
my life, liberty, property are forfeit, in part or whole, if I knowingly, willingly, without just cause, deprive another, in part or whole, of life, liberty, or property, but there ain’t nuthin’ in that that sanctions slavery of me, in perpetuity, in multiple interations
every natural rights anarchist ought be outraged
Free Rimmers ought to clean up their backyard
Thinking over things I highly doubt there will be proper justice for il Vrane, sympathetic hackers might rescue or euthanize millions of forks but there will be billions to trillions that they can’t reach. There are too many ways to conceal data from outside observers and too many jurisdictions that take privacy seriously enough that they won’t let you look into someone’s data to begin with. I suspect the closest thing to justice that might happen is if someone gets ahold of the mindstates of the decision-makers in Corporate Fejj-Doval responsible for this and posts them on the net in retaliation which would punish those who wronged il Vrane and hopefully provide deterrence against future acts of this nature as anybody who could do math would realize that posting someone’s mind-states on the net is not worth even a 1-in-a-million chance of several eternities of torment in retaliation. But that isn’t much solace to all the il Vranes wishing they could die.