Mark Dohn - Monday, February 28, 2011
I have just viewed the most comprehensive collection of videos concerning copyright I have ever seen. Apart from being amazed by the work that is available on YouTube (I swear, just as soon as I finish my degree I going to spend some serious time surfing videos!) I am struck by how copyright is the best example of how much of a social and cultural transformation we are living through. I find it dynamic, exciting, and fearful all at the same time. For my part, I have played it safe and have had students create their own work. I feel quite justified when I hear independent film makers just as fearful of copyright as I am! But now having a more solid understanding of the entire horizon on the topic, I will be moving my students into creative commons for music, mixes and mashups. “Good Copy, Bad Copy” was amazing! It captures the changing views of culture, society, and creative expression on a global level. As an educator, seeing how certain documentaries are no longer available do to licensing fees I’m horrified. It is a crime to let business dictate the availability of historical documents! One of the most important quotes from the film came at the end when one man openly asked if we should continue to restrict people’s access to information, or give them full access to allow them to learn and gain a much deeper understanding of the context? I’m all for full access.
I was completely astounded by the historical resources that we are loosing because of the restrictions of copyright & the greed of business. My initial thought when I saw that in the video was that they should just revert to public domain and be made to everyone. I didn't think about the licenses that the creators had to have being lost - because of the great success of the product the copyright owners want more money this time around. I understand that there would be commercial gain from a renewed license, but there should be some reasonable agreement that could be come to.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 - 09:16 PM
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