As you think about intellectual property laws and how they are ill equipped to handle our digital world, I'd like for you to explore the alternative that Creative Commons presents. Below is a link to their signature video that describes who they are, what they do and how their proposal is different from the current copyright laws.
Click here to watch the Creative Commons video.
Also, I've embedded the video of Lawrence Lessig's TED talk that I showed in my TTh class and 11 a.m. MW class. (For my MW 3:30 class, please watch the Lessig talk when you get a chance.)
If you really find this stuff interesting, you may be interested in documentary called "RiP - A Remix Manifesto" that features the musician Girl Talk and explores much of the same ground. I highly recommend it, especially if you're into music, film and IP law.
You have several options to view the documentary -- you can download it on iTunes or "name your price" direct from the filmmaker.
At the very least, be sure to watch the trailer to the documentary. Click here to see a trailer and your options.
If you'd like, feel free to post a comment with your reaction to any or all of the above videos.
42 comments:
I love how Lessig used the separate stories, especially the example with land ownership, to describe IP and how it has evolved. He makes the point that laws have to evolve with the times, such as when airplanes were invented and they flew over land owned by other people. According to old laws, people owned the indefinite space above the land they owned, so therefore it seemed every flight made by planes were illegal. I agree with Lessig that the Internet is an opportunity for revival and distribution of culture produced by so many people. Using parts of an old song and creating something new has an artistic value. The other day in one of my fashion classes we were talking about copyright laws, and it reminded me of media law. What if the classic "little black dress" had been copyrighted? The many versions created since the invention of this fashion staple would not have been made and artistic value would be lost. I think the same can apply to music and other artistic creations. Recreating artistic things should be allowed; recreation is not the same as piracy.
Casey T., T/H 2 p.m.
Haley Jenkins
MW 330-450
After watching the RIP trailer I can first say I will definitely be watching the movies. Clearly in watching this I can see that the bias is obviously leaning in favor of those who do mash-ups or sample other peoples music like Girl-Talk. However, in just watching the trailer I can clearly see there point in this argument. With lawsuits against 10 year olds and mothers who can owe up to 25% of wages because of pirating lawsuits it is obvious that this is somewhat out of hand. I can see that there needs to be a line drawn but it is also clear in watching these that a line in this situation will be hard to draw. As Lessig says in the TED talk video we are living in what he calls and “age of prohibitions” where things ordinary people are doing are constantly against the law. With the rate that our society and generation changes and grows there are more problems than solutions and I can see that is where the piracy battle comes into play. He makes a very valid point about the fact that kids know things ordinary people are doing are constantly against the law lends itself to a very corrupting learning environment. I don’t think that piracy should be legal but I do think the aggressive way lawmakers have gone about it thus far, making it seem tantamount to much worse crimes, is not correct. In a world of new technology there are going to be increasing problems and it’s I believe our generations job to figure out how to solve them before the solutions become as out of hand as the problems.
Watching "RiP: A Remix Manifesto," made me more aware of the risk the US has of falling far behind other countries. In particular, countries that have been growing at a fast rate these past years: Brazil, China, India. Development is a mixture of creativity and building upon what already exists. Any legislation that limits either, could stifle the growth of our society.
Victoria Gomez
MW 11
John Zanjani T/TH 2:00 PM
I'll admit it. I steal stuff everyday. I download music, I pirate movies, I record things, I share things. But, I don't use it for my own personal gain, and I do try to financially support things that I enjoy. In fact, I'd go so far to say that piracy is good for creativity. Paying for something before you know if you'll even like it seems sort of ludicrous, doesn't it? But where does it stop? What constitutes copyright infringement and what doesn't? The creative commons idea, in my opinion, seems to sort of open the door to what we can and can not do, instead of just what we can't. It's the lines that we need drawn so we know what can and can not be creatively influenced.
I really enjoyed Lessig's point that "recreation is not piracy." Today's generation is constantly relying on each other to create their own art. Whether that be remixing a song or dubbing voices over a video. These people are combining multiple pieces of art to make their own art. This seems like a constant battle that is going to hit a breaking point very soon. "Re-creation" will never be stopped, it will constantly be pushed underground until it's accepted as the norm.
Lessig made an excellent speech through the use of his examples of stories and videos. He sheds light on how copyright laws are stifling the creativity of our generation. Copyright laws make kids criminals. They need to be reformed to distinguish the difference between piracy and recreation. I watched RiP a Remix Manifesto for a class I took last semester and it really portrays the amazing creative works that can be done out of cutting, mutilating, combing, adding and mixing different works.
Priscilla Hurst MW 3:30
Creative Commons sounds like a great idea for artists who'd like others to elaborate on their works. I know if I were an artist I probably wouldn't like someone using my material because it was my idea with certain feelings behind it. Not unlike when Nike got sued for using the Beatles' "Revolution" song. Paul McCartney said the song was about an actual revolution, not a pair of shoes. I'm kind of on the fence when it comes to using other people's material and turning it into something inorganic. I thought it was funny how Creative Commons used "Get Creative" as their motto. It doesn't seem very creative to me when you're using anothers paradigm to build on. There seems to be a shortage of creativity in pop culture to me with all these re-makes of movies and cover songs or songs manipulated with computers. Though I have seen some great mash-ups. Not all of this "creativity" is for personal monetary gain but for pure enjoyment for the artists and fans. It is a good thing but I just think it sometimes gets carried away.
-Eric P. T&TH 2:00-3:20
Adrian Hanner T/Th 2:00-3:30pm
I really enjoyed Lessig during the video and how he portrayed certain stories and videos. Copyright laws will have to change at some point and i think with people like Lessig it will happen rather soon. Instead of making the youth of America criminals, we should try to open their eyes to all kinds of content and let the child decide what they want. We need to better ours country in order to stay up to par with all the others ones.
Amber Kahla T/Th 2 pm
I actually thought about the Girl Talk documentary when we were discussing this topic. I watched it last spring for another class. I don't think Girl Talk is doing wrong. Just the opposite. He is paying respect to the artists and their music in his mashups. I think the US needs to adopt policies that are less strict and more in-tune with our society today. Just as Lessig says, copyright laws are making criminals out of children as well as adults. I think these laws are outdated and should be readjusted soon.
Jessica Montez T/Th 2 pm
I reviewed the Lawrence Lessig's TED video. I believe that we ironically wish for the old times, but yet we keep making new technology. Don't get me wrong I believe that technology is highly important and I agree with Lessig that without being able to allow the younger generation to continue to make things on Youtube for instance is the lack of common sense. What I think is that the gov't at times is a hypocrite because laws are copied from "ideas" everyday and those "ideas" aren't always credited. It is going to be very interesting to see what happens when my generation becomes the ones in gov't.
MW 11am
Amy Goldsberry
I really appreciated Lessig's TED video, it was really insightful and demonstrated so much creativity, I can consider it an art form. There are parodies and recreations of songs etc. all over the internet these days, and the fact that some are considered infringements on copyright laws is really disturbing to me. Like some of my fellow classmates have mentioned, copyright laws are making children criminals. Something I've noticed that really bothers me is when I see fans posting their favorite artist's songs on youtube and they've made a slideshow or simply posted the lyrics along with the song and they can get in trouble for it unless they alter the tempo or pitch of the song. YouTube immediately removes their post. I really don't understand how that infringes on copyright, if I were a musician I would be flattered that people wanted to share my music. I'm very interested in the boundaries of copyright laws as well as "creative commons" because I don't know one person who doesn't "illegally" obtain music or movies... It's very interesting how the internet has facilitated the process of violating copyright laws and Im curious to see how the laws/boundaries evolve as technology does.
I actually was required to watch RiP - A Remix Manifesto last semester in my Web Design class. I thought I wasn't going to like it but the more I watched the more entertaining it got! I think it is a really relatable film because everyone has gone on sites to download music that they don't want to pay nearly $2.00 for or watched TV shows/movies that haven't been released yet. It was really interesting to watch Gregg Gillis remix songs to the point of where they are unrecognizable! It is like he is creating new songs from old ones!
I REALLY enjoyed Lessig's TED video. He makes some good points. And I really like how he got to the points. At one point I was like, where is he going with this? How does this all tie together? But I loved his approach. When it did come together at the end of the video, I think the way that he gave so many examples leading up to that, helped to support and make his point. Very interesting stuff!
Dawn Brooks
I have used CC licensed music on Youtube videos before. It is extremely convenient and takes a lot of the stress out of making a video when you have the confidence that it will not be taken down because of a DMCA strike. Another positive for the CC license is that it pretty much guarantees that any mediocre artist that uses it will have their receive some sort of exposure because of the high demand for royalty free and CC music. I can't say for sure whether or not the CC license will reach a mainstream level, Youtube in particular is already experimenting with solutions to prevent DMCA takedowns. Recently Youtube has been monetizing videos that have copyrighted material on it and giving the proceeds to the copyright holders; rather than takedown the video they just make money off of the advertising. Youtube has also changed their policy to benefit independent producers. Now when a video receives a DCMA strike, if the uploader appeals the video, it will still be watchable until the appeal is resolved rather than be completely removed. I don't expect these new policies to replace the CC license, but they do offer more lucrative alternatives to the creaters of the original work.
- Rudy Villalobos M-W 11:00 am
I was in class when this video was shown and I thought it was extremely interesting. For starters, the way that Lessig presented his points was really interesting (fast paced slide show to match his exact words and the exact time). That aside, Youtube has always been a place where the average person can post their work, good or bad. Its the same as all of the blogs out there where people and spend time creating things for others to look at. If you like something you see, you subscribe to it. This allows for people all over the world to find their niche and "pay it forward." Meaning, the Internet is a place where people can create and post and other take what was created and they create from it and post and the cycle continues. This allows the world to develop. This allows for change. This allows for growth. I think in order to be truly progressive, whether it is intentional or not, you have to look at it the way Lessig does. Great video, great post.
-Evan Bolton M-W 11:00 am
First Off, I love the cartoon usage in Creative Common's video. It is so simple and easy to understand, while covering such a broad topic. They do an incredible job laying out each topic and then tying it all together at the end. When they are describing copyright, I like how they illustrate "ask permission" when using someone's work; verses creative commons- "permission has already been granted". They also mention that creative commons is not meant to compete with copyright, but to simply compliment it. This world is so competitive these days and everyone's trying to get an upper hand in life. Creative commons opens so many doors and opportunities for people in all fields of professions to succeed and accomplish something incredible without the hassle of handling a copyrighted product. I would have never known about creative commons if it wasn't for this class; this is truly a brilliant system founded by Lessig and the other founders.
A week ago or so you mentioned copyright and trademark with pinterest. After looking at this page, http://pinterest.com/about/copyright/ I never really realized how important intellectual property rights is in things besides papers, articles, books, etc. It sounds silly, but i just never saw the big picture I guess.
I'm also an intern for the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo's marketing and corporate relations department. This past rodeo I had to keep an eye out for San Antonio Express New's reporters and photographers coming onto our media stand and taking pictures they didn't have permission to take (for example, musical artists, professional bull riders, etc.) They also would somehow make their way down onto the dirt and stage with their credentials that weren't suppose to allow them access to lower levels. After taking this class, it makes me think about and understand more about what is going on...i feel foolish for not understanding it all clearer previously! Ha!
Kaitlyn VanCleave
T/TH 2:00-3:20
The Lessig Ted Talk was particularly interesting in how it tied (or remixed) the three anecdotes to the issue of user-generated material. The RIP documentary was very interesting and fun to watch as well. I've been a fan of Girl Talk for around 5 years now and I've always wondered if there was any reprecussions to his use of popular songs in mash-ups, especially since he makes money off of selling CD's and performing live. I really like the idea of the Creative Commons; artists should be free to feed off of others art without all of the red-tape that comes with Copyright, so long as they don't try to steal the idea and whanot.
Johnathan Chisum Burnett
M/W 11:00 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
I really liked his idea that artists and creators should be open to making their work available more freely as long as it's not for commercial use. I feel like that idea alone would solve much of the music industries issues today.
Daniel D.
3:30 MW
In regards to the Creative Commons video, from a marketing standpoint, I think it was an extremely well crafted ad. It addressed the problem, a turning point in legislation, and their solution, along with people that might be interested (DJ's, professors, filmmakers and musicians). The people behind Creative Commons must have realized early on that the US's laws seem antiquated in regards to modern internet culture. CC came up with a solution that embraces the nature of internet users, that sought to appease both artists wishing to put their work up for manipulation, and the lawyers/record labels/movie studios etc. that dont want to just lose all rights to a work. After all, that's their bread and butter.
Marcelo Mayen
TTH 2:00
RIP- A Remix Manifesto
It's a little crazy to file a lawsuit against a 10 year old kid. C'mon now..kids don't know any better. Famous musicians who file lawsuits against pirating music are ridiculous. They should just be happy people are actually listening to their music. I mean, how much money are they losing? I guess it isn't enough to live a life of semi-luxury.
Dexter Broadnax MW 11 AM
When I saw this video in class I thought it was very interesting. The ideas proposed made sense like more users making their work more fee-sable for others unless for commercial use. You cant punish the young for things accessible. You have to find dair ground with the CC.
Zach Mayer T Th 2pm
I understand the constitution's principle behind copy right law. It is designed to protect the individual's property rights and their rights to freely create. If someone else wants to use or recreate another person's creation, and the original creator is ok with that, then there shouldn't be a legal problem. The constitutional principle of protecting an individual's rights is preserved because the individual consents to their work being used. Therefore, Creative Commons should be accepted as legal.
I also agree with fair use law, which allows the partical use of someone's work, because it blocks regulators from calling a lot of what is on the Internet and you tube 'pirated material'.
I think it's funny how the law used to give property owners "the right" to own the sky above their land. "Dang ole air machines trespassin n makin my chickens fly into the barn" The Jesus I will survive video is pretty funny too. Thanks for sharing this with us G-Mart!
John Elmore MW 11pm
I agree with Lessig's comment where he says it should be an artist's choice. It should be solely a decision of the original work's maker as to whether they want to share their work with others for use other than commercial. Also there is no way re-creation will be stopped. And as for children being punished, those kids don't know the laws pertaining to the sharing and mixing of music. They just see easy access to music and videos and they go for it. Honestly, I didn't understand the topic until I took your class and watched these videos. The idea of sharing openly would be beneficial and leave room for more unique works to be made.
Audrey Buchtien
T/TH 2:00
It is interesting to think how much deeper into the Intellectual Property and copyright hole we will continue to fall as technology changes everyday. As the digital technology world changes these "laws" will only limit the creativity of our generations and future generations. Lessig points out that we are using technology to says things differently - "recreating". These are the "tools of creativity", the "tools of speech" and the "library of out generation". These laws will have to change soon and I believe the same Supreme Court ruling regarding Air Trespass should apply here too: This Doctrine has no place in the modern world. And yes - this is the modern world that changes every moment.
Kelli Ermis
MW 11:00 AM
I agree with Lessig's point about how laws need to evolve with time because of the digital world today. But I also see how artists or film makers are unhappy with the prominence of online piracy because who knows how much money they lose every year. Speaking from experience I haven't purchased a song or form of music in over six years at least, and I only pay for movies that are worth watching in a theatre such as Batman. I don't see how this problem would be fixed and it is unfortunate for the creators.
On another note I agree that recreating work should not be punishable as long as it isn't for commercial use. Both the creator and recreator benefit in my eyes and criminalizing that seems ridiculous.
Chris Davila
MW 11 am
Great presentation by Lessig, you can definitely tell he is a lawyer too- it's all about the children. I liked how he portrayed that a generation completely anti-copyright is the reactionary product of extreme attitudes and overreaching policies. That is a great lead into Creative Commons. I need to go back to the CC website and read exactly what they are proposing. From the video, I understand that it basically gives the choice to the artist of what and how their content can be reproduced but I'd like to know more details of how that is done. Overall I find this very interesting and exciting. The internet is a wonderful tool designed to share information. Whenever that information is attempted to be controlled or censored, people need to become aware and decide if they will allow it.
Cassidy Sheek
TTh 2pm
MW 11-12:20p.m.
Robin Rocha
I want to start out by saying I agree with what Lessig says on how the digital world need to expand and evolve there laws. I have watched "RIP-A REMIX MANIFESTO" and agree with what Girl Talk does. They are not trying to steal work but expand on creativity, and what amazing creativity it is. If you have never heard Girl Talk I recommend that people need to hear there music before judging. I believe that we all help each other become better creators by expanding on others creativity. If we keep making rules, regulations and censorship then we are all going to lead dull lives. We do live in a free world so we should be able to create ideas from and off of others. I really enjoyed watching Lessig documentary and I just hope when I have children the world will feel differently and will allow them to be creative in whatever aspect they choose.
When we first viewed the Lessing Ted Talks video in class it surprised me. I have always wondered what to call the generation I find myself and students in this university in. He spoke about a Read-write culture creating and re-creating things. A technology culture, with instant technology, remixes, and collaborations to "understand access to the culture", as Lessing said. He couldn't have defined it any better. I also agree when he spoke of democratized technology. Let one side be free to express and live in this culture all while the other side understanding this and using the benefit for their own business. It does come down to the artist on where current and new technology affects creativity in the digital world. I understand what creative commons is helping but i believe it depends on the artist. How the creation of their work or what it means to them to decide whether they want someone to remake it, or how against they are on selling a product. Even piracy leads to more profit for some artists like going to their concerts, events, and buying their merchandise. It will be interesting to see where it goes.
Vanessa Ramos
T/TH 2:00-3:20pm
Brandi Sebek
M/W 11:00
I loved the idea behind Creative Commons and the simplicity of their video made it even that much easier to understand! I know many local bands that are always worrying and having to deal with copyright issues. I think it is awesome that some "brand names" are allowing their works to be readily available as long as it is not for commercial usage and gain. I also liked how Creative Commons is not trying to take anything away from a normal copyright, instead it acknowledges the right of a typical copyright by using the "red light" in the video and counteracts with a "green light" for the go ahead for Creative Commons rights. I am very glad you posted this video and that I now know about Creative Commons in the future.
I loved this TED talk. It speaks directly with our generation. Older generations say we aren't creative or original but in a world of content it's impossible to not re-imagine.
Creativity in it's very nature is re-purposing or re-imagining something. Like Picasso, who took the image or a person and "remixed" it into art.
Amber Trent
M/W 11:00
After watching this documentary I am much more aware of how important development and innovation is as well as the impact of downloading music and or videos, something that I believe many think is not harmful to anyone. With technology developing at the rate it is influencing generations, innovations and countries through out the world it is important that we protect, encourage and support that creativity and development here within the united states and aim to protect it.
Austin Ainsworth
M/W 11:30-12:20
After watching this video, I found it very interesting to learn about how the views of the digital age has changed throughout history. The presentation was great and outlined some key principles that America needs to stick to. As the age of computers continues to grow and change, so does the idea of what is creative. By expanding on the existing creation of a person, a true masterpiece can be achieved. Piracy should not be feared, but embraced. This country lives on the integration of thoughts and the creations of many. We should not condemn the practice of taking others ideas, but rather embrace it.
Aisling Niestroy
MW 11:00
I am part of a generation of criminals and I don't care. I loved all three of these videos. We were talking about Creative Commons in my Multimedia class recently and I really wish we had been shown this video. I understood it when we were talking about it in class but the video explained it so well. I think Creative Commons is a really cool thing. I also really enjoyed Lessing's Ted Talk. I liked what he was saying about remixing and recreating and artist's choice. I also liked what he was saying about younger generations being different than older generations because technology has made them this way. I completely agree. I know how to use more technology than most of my older family members because I grew up with it. I can fix things and do things that they can't. The trailer for the Remix Manifesto was awesome. I will be watching that soon. I thought some of the things they were saying in the trailer were completely true: remix, not piracy and that it is beneficial to share ideas. I'm all about it.
Kendall Peters
MW 3:30
Creative Commons must have realized early on that the US laws seem a little out-dated in regards to modern internet culture. Although, I do agree that the foundation of the law is always necessary to decipher what is ethically appropriate to impose nowadays. Creative Commons shows a balance to what is going to continue to be a battle with internet users, willing to put their own work up for manipulation and the money makers that dont want to just lose all rights to a work. Video was great.
Hey Professor Martinez! I know the semester is over, I had your test this morning but I just found this and thought you'd think it was interesting, and applicable!
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/12/loud-tv-commercials-outlawed-fcc-rules
-Anna
Lessig's presentation categorized the old generation and the new generation by emphasizing our freedom of words online. I loved this presentation, and I fully agree. You can't muffle ideas just because they're limited by law. Our democracy needs a shift from individual copyright infringement to holistically asking how we can serve the future generations. Yes, we're constantly living against laws and our freedom is tested each day. Great Ted Talk. IP Freedom.
Sammantha Johnson
Lessig's presentation categorized the old generation and the new generation by emphasizing our freedom of words online. I loved this presentation, and I fully agree. You can't muffle ideas just because they're limited by law. Our democracy needs a shift from individual copyright infringement to holistically asking how we can serve the future generations. Yes, we're constantly living against laws and our freedom is tested each day. Great Ted Talk. IP Freedom.
Sammantha Johnson
Amber S.
MW 3:30-4:50
I think Lessig does offer valid points. For starters if they mix it up and create something new, then it’s no longer the original creator’s idea. I feel that if we tell people who use other people’s concept that they can’t, then there would be hardly any new creations. Individuals need different ideas to play off of. That’s what allows the world to advance. We all need something to create and inspire our own creations.
After watching the trailer for "RiP - A remix Manifesto," I can see why people may be upset that their music is being used, just altered and mashed together with other songs. I feel that it's the artist right to get mad, but that it's the people's right to be creative and come up with new things. If you take that away, then there won't be anything new to talk about. People were made to create, or at least that's what I think.
And to try and sue daycares for using Disney characters on their buildings, I mean come on. That's way over the top for me when it comes to peoples intellectual property. If I wanted to paint Mickey Mouse in my children's room, then there shouldn't be anything to stop me!
-Marissa McMinn MW 3:30
Bianca M
3:30p.m.MW
I absolutely agree with Lessing in that its the choice of the artist to allow the public to freely use their works so as long as its not for commercial purposes.
I liked what Lessing had to say about kids. He said that his generation grew up watching movies and that kids these days are making movies. I think digital works of art should be more available to the public because that is how kids these days are connecting with digital media; re-creating to make things sound different.
Taylor Hundley
MW 3:30
With all of the tension associated with the so called "pirates" it is very pleasant to see a respected individual stand up for the rights of the new digital movement, especially considering the new art forms that seem to be in constant creation in the virtual world.
It is natural for those invested in the current system to be fearful of the changes we are facing, but we cant let their fear stifle creativity or freedom.
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