Week 1 Reading: Copyright Issues
http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/174373#
I was really intrigued by the documentary when they spoke about the Brazilian, Nigerian, and Swedish laws and how they were almost trendsetters. Laurence Lessig and many of the other interviewees spoke very well about the need to adapt our current laws to the new technologies that so many people have access to. We are no longer protecting printed materials that were produced on a printing press. Everyone has the capability to be a producer and I think this is a fundamental change in all societies and how they handle copyright laws. Many of these laws, were conceived before the ease of file sharing and collaborating became the norm for many. I think the point that Mr. Lessig made about being more open with sharing would increase the revenue for many artists that do not see a dime from their works being distributed was right on target.
The idea that suing your customer base to keep pirates at bay (pun intended) is ridiculous. Sending someone to jail and fining them tens of thousands of dollars is not a way to endear yourself to the public that you want as paying customers. There are lots of examples of artists trying new methods and being quite successful. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails started his own record label, The Null Corporation, in which he released his album as a free download with options for purchasing extras. The Grateful Dead toured for decades and encouraged recording and sharing of their music. There are many examples of musicians that have done well in the new economy of the information age.
I am not arguing for pirating and the blatant disrespect for others hard work, but I do feel that times have changed and we must adapt to the new methods of distribution and sharing or we will stifle the artistic possibilities that these new technologies afford us. Just as education is dealing with how to handle smart phones, tablets, and mp3 players that have more computing power than the Apollo spacecraft, so to must society adjust to this new world.
P.S. I am not a Nine Inch Nails fan, just a fan of Trent Reznor's willingness to try something different and put his fans first.
Sources:
First picture - http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/174373#
Second picture - http://www.flickr.com/photos/39698489@N00/145765624/
Posted by KnowledgeFarmer at 11:32 PM
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Rowdy319 said...
Jim-
I hear what you are saying. I think the laws should reflect today's digital age, but I still think it should be fair to the artists. File sharing and Bit Torrents are exactly what kills it for the artists. I can truly see the argument that if you allow some sharing and word of mouth, it will get fans to want to buy more of their work. However, they still lose out. I think artist can now become distributors themselves, just as you mentioned with Trent Reznor. Prince has done this as well. When he came out with his last two albums, he released the CD free in Europe in every copy of the local paper. He controls his own distribution and controls the copyright pretty closely. I think artists can now all do this themselves.
I think we mostly focus on media copyright, but what about copyright for the web and documents online, websites.
Great points nonetheless.
May 6, 2011 12:56 AM
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