Slashdot Mirror
Comic Book on Copyright and Creativity
An anonymous reader writes "Three law professors have written a comic book on copyright and creativity -- focusing on the effects of expanding rights and restrictive licensing on documentary film. The book is available for free online via the creative commons license. High points include Larry Lessig as the Statue of Liberty, a version of the Crypt Keeper who looks like Justice Rehnquist, and comic book riffs from the Silver Surfer. At the end, the book discusses the 'cultural environmentalism' movement which has been getting some attention recently."
I'm all for but the format
the use of of the comic
various me- was such that
diums to I just couldn't
make a point tell which
about diffi- frame followed
cult topics. which frame.
Then you get to the payoff and it's just a screed against copyright law as it stands. It doesn't offer guidance, just copyright-hate.
It doesn't offer guidance, just copyright-hate.
Well-written copyright-hate is guidance ... to lawmakers.
Say, this mirroring raises an interesting question: Is mirroring an article a fair use right?
Now, clearly you have been granted the right to mirror in this case (by the Creative Commons license on the inside cover of the comic book). But what about in general?
My guess is that mirroring in general counts as re-distributing without permission. But has anyone seen any argument for or against my guess?
Phiwum's law: anyone that names an obvious law after himself and then puts it in his own sig is just pathetic.
Doing as a comic is a really straightforward way of introducing fair-use copyright material including images, songs etc.. and references to them as both critique and parady - it really covers the publication against trivial law suits.
Furthermore, it adds nicely to the overwhelming feeling of the copright mire, while actually spreading the information around the page nicely (like a mindmap).
Its so good its got me thinking of doing a documentary here in the UK.
If I use lots of 'fair use' material, I can send the product (prior to public release) with notices like 'if you dont complain / sue I will release this as fair use after 40 days' literally begging the major corporate owners to sue: If I win or they don't complain I would use the data protection act to prove they had received the works and the warning notices, and include the whole documentary under some form of GPL - as such I would be the only point of contact needed to go through trials of fair use on that material, and anyone could use the original footage, or my new creation, simply by referencing it (or me)..
Do that to enough material, or highlight it to enough of the public, and we could change the culture back from oppressive rights to expressive rights. Right on!
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