I don't know for sure if I ever agreed on a topic so much for one of these blog posts but this might take the cake. All this talk of copyright law being outdated and how just about everything is a "remix" of something else in someway is absolutely true.
Let's take this in two parts and talk about the copyright part first. I want you to go onto Youtube and watch just about anything. I'll let you decide because I'm just a great guy. There is around an 85% chance that the video you just viewed does is indeed breaking some copyright law of some kind. Whether it's playing some music or showing clips from some movie or game, a lot of videos are without a doubt breaking some copyright laws. The point is though, is that it's not a big deal. Unless you're Disney or some other huge company, it doesn't really matter if something is circulating Youtube. Let's take all those Colbert remixes for instance. He did say not to make them so people would indeed make the videos, but let's say he didn't mention that at all and people still made videos based off the interview anyway. I can bet you everything that he would not be running around trying to sue everyone who made the video for breaking the almighty copyright law. Of course, these are Youtube videos and are...sometimes not making money (Times are changing here and there so it's interesting) and even the people who are often time use video games or something as their topic which is technically breaking some copyright law, but it simply doesn't matter. Unless we want to hound just about every human being who has access to the internet, the law is outdated and needs to change.
As for the "everything is a remix of something else" topic, I'll keep this one short but I have one key example. Something I rarely talk about if not mentioned at all is that I sometimes compose music. Nothing special and to be honest they're not super great but I do. Besides, it's nothing more than a hobby. But I can say though when I come up with a song that DOES work, it is inspired by some other song out there. Of course, it isn't plagiarism or anything because I do change it quite a bit. But in the end, the inspiration is still there. The idea that everything you make is a remix of something else isn't a bad thing, it's simply the truth behind inspiration.
And that's what all this boils down to. You get inspired by something and want to do something similar as a result.
Cat Man,
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me of a Game of Thrones episode I saw the other day. I don't think I'll be spoiling anything here. There's a group of dudes called The Night's Watch who are supposed to take vows to like commit themselves to servitude of the cause and not have families and never do it with chicks, and this one guy, John Snow, who had pretty much been like a hero in every respect other than that he made whoopie with a lady had to face his like superiors. The ones who didn't like John Snow were all, "Cut his head off! He broke his vows and friggen did it!" and another leader who liked John Snow and recognized the greater good that he had accomplished said "if we cut off everyone's head who broke their vows the night's watch would consist of headless men."
Friggen, it's just like that. How many million do you think would be prosecuted if they were actually held accountable for their breaches of copyright. Would there be anyone left on the internet? It's like lawmakers are giving off mixed signals. You know, saying "Copyright infringement is evil and if you do it you'll go to Federal Prison" and then in the next breath not doing a thing about the millions of people every day who disobey their almighty command. It kind of takes the piss out of their threat, don't you think? All I want is a clear answer. I guess if it's such a heinous crime to do what I do by infringing on other's copyright, then show me some damn consequences. Knocking on wood BIG TIME here. The signals are mixed, at best, so I'm just going to keep on keeping on.