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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."
Mirror of PDFs here in case it gets ./-ed (Low bandwidth, but still):
http://linuxownzwindows.com/mirror/cspd/
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.
Unfortunately, most people are generally too apathetic to care about such things as "fair use." It's really a shame. If you film something incidentally for a documentary, why must you clear the rights? How about the buildings that said documentary takes place?
You could have RTFC. It's distributed under the creative commons license.
Isn't the creative commons license actually a list of licenses?e -licenses
http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/meet-th
Yes, "liberal propaganda". There is even a quiche recipe in the back. A quiche recipe! My children will never drink chardonnay!
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
Wow, that's a great comic. It does a very good job of explaining some issues related to copyright.a lism
There's also a wikipedia article on "cultural environmentalism". It doesn't have much in it though. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_environment
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!
[ insert meme here ]
You clearly don't read much. Call it flowery prose if you want, but dumb was a poor choice of words: I am not silent.
You will notice the point at the end of each sentence, and the point of the post in the final sentence.
Quote one incorrect spelling.
Quote any use of jargon (with a suitable replacement).
Please - I don't mind being corrected, even harshly, but it get right.
[ insert meme here ]
Nixon [...] was a freakin' pinko!!
Replace Nixon with any other U.S. President before 1976 and the statement remains true.
We should read some (ack!) Jack T. Chick tracts and see how they simplify stuff to present their point of view. I know, their stories suck and are full of lies - but at least they do good in marketing.
Having said this, I think the comic should have a more comedic approach, like having Shakespeare being interrupted by some lawyers because his works are patented or something. (Oh, wait, this is about copyright, not patents. Well, the comic should talk about the distinction of both because of this "intellectual property" fuzz).
My 2 (c).
a version of the Crypt Keeper who looks like Justice Rehnquist,
I imagine that Rehnquist looks a bit like the Crypt Keeper too right about now.
It's not a bad presentation (aside from the art and lettering), but it almost lost me by using COMIC SANS for a font on the "inside front cover."
UGH
I would direct their attention to
http://www.blambot.com/
or
http://www.comicraft.com/
for better choices.
-Augie
Some valid, concrete points - good for you.
.. 2 dots. It looks better. It is very bad grammar and now I remember why I do it. I hope it becomes a new fad. I also think "etc.. and" looks better than "etc.... and" or "etc. ... and". You have a valid point, but I prefer 2 dots..
... law suits (sic)."
Doing as a comic is clearly wrong. I omitted the second word, 'it'. Nor did I catch it when proof-reading - a valid point.
I like run-on sentences... but I prefer
As a run-on sentence they are the images, songs etc.. referenced to as both critique & parody in the expression "etc.. and references them"..
I would like to point out that ellipses and the dot-dot-dot used usually at the end of sentences do not infer the same thing... I like using dot-dot-dot (or now, "..") to infer pause for thought. From the context it clearly does not infer omissions in a quotation.
"Parody" is misspelled.
Spelt badly, actually. However, I recognise that many Americanisms tend to drop the hyphen, so I wont argue the spelling of "misspelled". I would ask, though, is there such a word as "misspelt"? Are "mis-spelled" or even "mis-spelt" considered acceptable?
Its...its
Clearly you mean "It's"
Half a valid point. I meant "It's so good it has got me thinking..". It would be wrong to say "It's so good it is got me thinking"..
You are impreseed by the comic
I am not! I am impressed by it..
It"? The comic?
Again, you have half a valid point. "It" was the comic form which covers the publication against trivial trials, but since I actually said "Doing as a comic" instead of "doing it as a comic" at the start, I will agree there some ambiguity. That said, even you noticed that "the comic covers the publication" may be a true phrase, but is pointless. I am not sure why you chose that interpretation.
It doesn't "cover the publication against
The authors have made quite clear throughout the comic that are both highlighting a problem, (convoluted copyright laws), and using copyright materials under the terms of 'fair use' to do so.
By not mentioning the latter point, I don't think you've understood the comic at all..
"Lawsuit" is one word.
Lawsuit is an Americanism, but is quicker than "legal proceedings". I remain unsure as to whether a UK dictionary would accept one word or two, but since you know I am from the UK you are just nit-picking. There may still be a case in the US for using seperate words, since "sue" still pertains to "suit", and "lawsue" is not a verb.
"Furthermore", on top of what the comic doesn't do (I suppose)
No - further to what the comic does do: critique and parody.
The copyright mire feels overwhelmed?
You might think that: It is a valid post-modern point.
I wrote that the copyright mire feels overwhelming - hence there being an "overwhelming feeling of the copyright mire". English is a funny language.
close enough to standard English usage that you get a pass.
Which mountain? Or did you mean I am passed by? Or, maybe I get a passing grade? I am nit-picking here because I meant "doing a documentary", which would involve different media, and may end up as printed word, images, movies (distributed as DVD, IPTV, or perhaps on VHS film) or even audio media. Both "making" and "doing" are equally applicable when talking of modern multi-media, regardless of standard English usage. In hindsight, "making" sounds better. So does "a passing grade".
mindmap
It is modern jargon, but there is no better way of putting it. If you don't know what a mindmap is, speculate, research it, or ignore it. The jargon adds meaning to my sentence about the layout of the comic.
"Fair use" describes a manner of usage permitted by copyright law. It is not an adjective to describe different types of material.
Yet. Building a bank of material already used fa
[ insert meme here ]
I'm writing these two posts as a favor to you.
... as well?"
No you're not - you are being a troll, and pretending to justify it.
Evidence from "Re: troll":
1) 1 insult: Flamebait. Score 0
your grasp of English is apparently feeble
See my reply to "Re: troll", an apt title.
2) Failure by own standards: Funny. Score +1
I assume you just have typing difficulties sometimes.
I refer you to "impreseed".
Evidence from "And another thing!"
3) Sniping flamebait. Score -2
I would just as soon assume that English wasn't your first language.
As soon as what? And for what reason - for the hell of it?
4) 1 opinion, 3 insults: clear flamebait. Score -3
I would call [your first post] "crap", "worthless", "pointless", and "stupid"
Now you are just ranting.
5) Failure by own standards: Funny. Score +1
"Mindmap" doesn't mean anything to anybody except yourself. Assuming that your point about the comic spreading information nicely around the page made any sense in the first place, it is completely unnecessary to restate that using an obscure non-word like "mindmap".
You have re-stated yourself.
6) Failure by own standards: Funny. Score +2
It is far better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
I hope you get my drift.
My doubts are gone!
7) Double standards: Off-topic. Score -1
I did not notice "the point" at the end of each of your sentences. Not unless you meant the period.
No, I meant the point, not the point symbol. Period means 'space' to me: I had not picked you up on using Americanisms, don't be so petty.
8) Failure by own standards: Funny. Score +1
Maybe you suffer from a mental handicap like autism as well.
Are you asking a question or making a statement? Did you mean to say "It may be that..." or "Maybe
Total score -1: You are a troll.
Perhaps you did not notice you were being a troll. Maybe you suffer from a mental handicap like Multiple Personality Disorder?
If you do want to tell me, I will be happy to read both rants and constructive criticism, but not in the same posts. They are mutually exclusive: So which is it? Should I pity you for your mental handicap, mock you for your low intelligence or discuss with you?
[ insert meme here ]
Why only "before 1976"?
In 1976, the Copyright Act of 1976 extended the average copyright term for newly published works from 29 years (28+28 with comparatively few authors taking advantage of the renewal term) to 75 years.
1980 was when U.S. politics took a hard turn to the radical right.
Then why did President Clinton, a member of the more traditionally leftist party, sign the NET Act, DMCA, and Bono Act, letting bipartisan voice votes stand in both houses, instead of forcing representatives and senators who supported the bills to reveal their identities in a roll-call to override his veto?