Do you think the current copyright laws are fair, unfair?
Interesting scenarios, I hadn’t really thought about how copyright law hinders the “real” world. How does Weird Al Yankovich get away with it? Or what about the comics that display Amazon boxes? I suppose they got permission? I think the music industry needs to change with the times. They are stuck in the 50’s and 60’s. They need to address the uses of technology and our changing culture.
As a school librarian, I try to educate students, staff, and parents about copyright and respecting ownership. The message I push is that downloading pirated music and videos deprives someone (including Blockbuster and itunes) of a living. I further teach that when good writing papers, sources are quoted, etc. thus avoiding plagiarism problems. The education sector has some flexibility in free use. For example some PBS shows allow taping if it is destroyed after a specific time frame. Some print can be used for education purposes and, of course, copying sheet music is a big no, no. I have found that copyright law is hard to pin down and I worry that our school might be chosen to prosecute to “teach a lesson.” Even though we try to follow the law. I would say copyright law is unfair, since it protects the deep pockets, thus making it difficult to follow and limits public use.
Should there be such a thing as “intellectual property”?
Yes. For a short time (20 years, since people live longer) People should reap rewards for their ideas, etc.
Have you ever used materials in a way that was against copyright?
Although I have tried to stay within copyright, I’m sure that I have made mistakes.
Have you ever been unable to use something because copyright law prevented it?
Yes. In the school setting we are careful to ask permission. If we don’t receive it, it can’t be used. Although I have seen schools completely ignore copyright law.
I wonder if the Incidental Use scenarios would have had a different outcome if the filmmaker had approached the Corporations asking for “Paid Placement” endorsements, rather than asking for permissions.
Also, my husband was outraged over the Grey Video, saying it was sacra religious. I just thought it was funny.
Final Notes:
I loved the links and worry that if/when Net Neutrality is passed, these sites will be blocked and innovation will take yet another hit.
Finally, this months Wired magazine featured an article on Manga (Japanese comics). In Japan, Manga sales have flattened. To boost sales, copyright law (gentleman’s agreement) is overlooked for Comic Con (conventions) thereby publishers can see what is hot and scoop up the artist and the ideas. Pretty radical idea for our country, but maybe it’s already happening.
