Thursday, August 22, 2002

copyright I am pleased to have become aware of the blog "Alas a Blog" not only because it nicely linked to me once, but because of things like this hilariously funny cartoon on Mickey and the perpetual-copyright issue (see Eldred v. Ashcroft, coming to a Supreme Court near you on October 9). There are also some perceptive comments about the real-world fact that in many creative fields, the creator doesn't wind up owning the copyright. This is true, and is it is good to bear it in mind when discussing copyright law and policy. However -- following up on my mention of Fugazi in this context the other day -- it doesn't have to be that way, and I think that the internet holds the promise of independent distribution by creators, such that they will not be beholden to syndicates/record companies/whatever unless they choose to be. I wish that internet anti-copyright activists were working on the creation of those new alternative distribution schemes (such as new business models for independent distribution of music/cartooning/etc), and convincing teenagers that it's cool to pay a few dollars over paypal to your favorite band or cartoonist, rather than importing their "information wants to be free" ideology from the software world into other creative fields.

posted by sam 7:23 AM 0 comments

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