1) After seeing the documentary film, rip, and reading Lawrence Lessig’s book, REMIX, one large connection that both of them discuss inability to build and innovate using the pasts artistic creations and originality. Lessig talks about this by using examples such as Harry Potter and Star Wars fans and how the original works they created were basically taken from them and labeled as legal property of the artist that created the first original piece. The Film rip uses an example of a man who creates his comics using the Disney character, Mickey Mouse. The comics that he creates use the mouse in inappropriate scenario’s that Disney would never use. The Disney Corporation had been doing basically the same thing when it came to using the mouse and had created many ‘originals’ by getting ideas from other people, just like in Steamboat Willy.
2) Both Lessig and rip, explain how outdated copyright laws are creating an environment where no stability is held between the two sides, those sides being RO and RW. The copyright law was created to protect the not only the rights of the individual who created the original work, but also to protect the rights of those who would later use the work to create something else with their own creativity. As time went on, we now have a copyright law that no longer protects those individuals creativity and original works. With this change came the term that both Lessig and rip mention which is the copyleft, opposed to copyright. The copyright law now protects the large corporate interest rather than a person’s creativity and innovation.
3) Lastly, Lessig and rip both thoroughly explain Creative Commons. Lessig talks about how Creative Commons is used to signal which kind of economy a creator is creating for (226). Different aspects help to identify with RIAA and Creative Commons. RIAA being for artists who want to distribute their art according to the rules of the commercial economy. Creative Commons for those artists who want to SHARE their works so that others can do basically whatever they want with them. The film rip uses artists such as Girl Talk that support Creative Commons and what it does for todays outdated copyright laws. It shows that more people are interested in a sharing or hybrid economy opposed to what we have now. Both the film and the book make clear that our economy has to change and that Creative Commons is a big step in the right direction.
Creative Commons was heavily discussed in both the reading and video, thus proving how significant it is becoming in the fight against copyright laws. I agree with you that more people are interested in a sharing or hybrid economy, the video and book both support that claim as well. I wonder how many artists are going to start identifying more with Creative Commons as opposed to RIAA in the future and as technology continues to become a dominant force in the entertainment industry.
ReplyDeleteI like your second point. I think it's really important to remember that copyright does try to protect the corporation more so than individuals creative expression. I feel like most artists (aside from the Kanye Wests of the world) would agree that remixing is important in today's day and age for creative expression. As the world evolves and develops into this new technological based society, copyright law needs to do the same so as to properly preserve an artist's creativity as well as allow for further development of creativity of individuals.
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned the disney video explaining copyright laws, it was probably one of the most memorable clips I have seen in this class. Lessig and Rip know that it is these types of videos that need to be looked at when updating our laws for the future.
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