Word of The Day – Commons

Commons – wealth enjoyed by all, common wealth

Definition: Property that the people of a nation own

Examples:

(1) Our laws. Until 1998, West Publishing Company claimed it owned the “rights” to publish all federal American laws because it claimed it had copyright over the pagination of federal law. (Copyrights are legal rights that go back into the public domain after a certain number of years)

Because attorneys needed to include the location (i.e., page reference) of laws they they cited in legal proceedings, West had a defacto monopoly over federal law.  In 1998 a court ruled that American law belongs to everyone. It is again part of the public domain or commons. (Silent Theft: The Private Plunder of Our Common Wealth) by David Bollier, 2003)

(2) Community gardens – treasures  owned by a local communities

(3) Parks, including our national parks and the oldest park in the nation, the Boston Common.

Common wealth is the glue that binds a nation and makes it strong; it is the commons that frequently bears the cost of externalities from private enterprises.

Related terms: public domain; parks; nature;  leasing; copyrights; externalities; privatization

Copyright © 2011 Nancy K. Humphreys