Too many options on Friday
Published by Mertz on Friday, November 17, 2006 at 10:32 AM.
Today is one of those days where I am on the verge of being sick so my mind isn't focusing very well on anything. Compounding the issue of writing about one thing is that for the second year in a row, my brother has made it to the final interview stage in the process to become a Rhodes Scholar. I've been hitting the RSS feeds a lot harder just to help him stay up on the what's happening in the world.So for today's thought, I could write about the US Senate foolishly reaching an agreement that will put more nuclear weapons in the world. Or I could make some snide remarks about the Democrats already fumbling in the House (although Dana Milbank does a far better job that I ever could). Or hypothesize about just what the heck is going on in Tom DeLay's old congressional office. But I'm writing about politics enough on this blog as is.
For a non-political angle, there is always the PlayStation 3 fiasco. Everything from the massive losses Sony takes each time they sell one of those overpriced puppies, the fights that have broken out in line to get one or the money that can be made reselling these things are all ripe topics (especially since I am now in "buy and eBay" mode myself). But that has been covered enough on the internets.
No, what I do want to point out is an article in Slate about sampling. Take some time, read it over, come back here.
Back? Good. If you're reading this blog, there is a good chance that you know me, and ergo, you are fairly obsessive about music like me. I tend to socialize with musically obsessed folk. It won't be hard for anyone to guess that as a house DJ, what Bridgeport is doing is driving me up the wall. The entire genre of house survives in large part because of its ability to sample at will. However, the law school graduate side of me is also somewhat comforted by the publicity that this is receiving (and ergo, why I'm choosing to spotlight this topic... my way of adding to the publicity to Bridgeport's lunacy).
I went to law school with the hope that while I was there, copyright law would go through, or start to go through, dramatic changes. I (incorrectly) thought that the meeting of interconnected technologies and antiquated copyright law would have immediately fostered changes to the Copyright Act to reflect that 1,000 copies of a work can be made online in the blink of an eye. And that the technology wasn't going away, it was only going to expand. Little did I realize the immense push back from content holders to lock things down in their favor.
However, I still believe that within my lifetime there will be a radical shakeup of the current copyright law (not only in the US, but internationally as well). My generation will only tolerate for so long this current practice of suing YouTube, suing artists, suing consumers... basically suing everyone. Somewhere along the line, the power of rights holders and the power afforded to the users of those rights will fall into a better balance. Because as it stands now, the rights holders having so much power is stifling technological innovation, artistic creativity, and basic consumer and property rights.
People can argue back and forth about whether or not the US Constitution (where American copyright law is derived from) is a living and breathing document. But if history has taught us anything, it is that often times, societal change is born out of generational shifts in attitude and mindset, and those shifts are later reflected in new laws. I believe that is what will happen with Copyright as long as the general populace starts to feel the same widespread outrage for injustices as was present with other large social movements.
Keep suing Jay Z, keep taking down the Daily Show from YouTube, keep raising the prices on music and movies, keep making it harder to use our legally purchased content the way that we want on the devices we want, and a change will come.
For a take of how that all could and should happen, read something by Lawrence Lessig. He's a far greater mind than I'll ever be and can expound on all of these principles in a much stronger fashion. And hopefully, more people, including lawmakers, will start getting in line with his ideas.
The ultimate "fuck you" to copyright
Why just post one often sampled track when you can link to an entire mix that purposely flicks off copyright?
DJ Food - Raiding the 20th Century (external link, so if it dies and needs to be upped again, let me know)
0 Responses to “Too many options on Friday”
Post a Comment