Wk1 Reading: Copyright Issues ***GOOD COPY BAD COPY***
I’ve always been a been fan of alliteration...the tag of ”copyright
is complicated” is a great summary of the ongoing challenges with intellectual
property. A question that stood out for me was questioning initial intention
and the purpose of creating copyright laws. A law, by definition, is a system
of rules and guidelines, usually enforced through a set of institutions. Since
these are guidelines which are bound by a specific time and situation, it is
only natural that these rules will need to evolve to protect and serve those
which the law was initially created for.
In the documentary feature “Good Copy, Bad Copy” the term de minimis non curat lex "The law does
not concern itself with trifles" was used and stuck with me. This
really stood out for me because it was simple and effectively made a valid
point. The artist, Girl Talk, referred to his sampling work as helping not
hurting artist and a way to nurture artistic growth. With regard to this di
mininmus mindset, creating something that is uniquely yours, such as the
sound that Girl Talk produces, opens the doors for a new and beautiful breed of
music and music enthusiasts.
Blip.tv video: Good Copy, Bad Copy Directed by ANDREAS
JOHNSEN, RALF CHRISTENSEN, HENRIK MOLTKE (http://www.goodcopybadcopy.net/), http://www.blip.tv/file/359180/
retrieved on 6/8/2009
Complicated doesn't begin to express it. The NWA riff that was copied, that was virtually undetectable unless one knew what to listen for is a great example of the level of complexity that this subject generates. There are those who, in pursuit of protecting their works, would outlaw or patent single brushstrokes or various vowels or sound waves. It's a mess.
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