Media Asset Creating Week 1 Blog post 4: Random Thoughts on Sunday Night

I’m sitting at my dining room table thinking about the information on Copyright that we “read” this week.  I often listen to music while I am doing my homework, which in this case is my “Lincoln Park” channel on Pandora Radio.

When was the last time I actually bought a new CD?  When I went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra a few years ago.  Before that, I get media for Christmas, usually a box set from one of my favorite bands.

My 17-year-old son could not tell me the last time he bought music.  My 22-year-old daughter buys music all of the time. 

My point is this, the world continues to get smaller with the use of technology and entertainment is part of this.  I can go to almost any corner and purchase bootleg movies.  Some of them are pretty good quality.  Why would I pay $10.00 to $12.00 a ticket to see a movie once when I can own it for $5.00?  Why purchase a CD when I can get free music from Pandora radio? 

I like killing Zombies with my son on Call of Duty and I enjoy “Walking Dead” on A&E.  I wanted to name my daughter Claudia and my son Lestat.  I did not.  (Any one know who they are?) 

Media Asset Creation: Week 1 Comment on Vasili Giannoutsos’ Blog

Wk 1 Reading: Copyright Issues pt.1-3: What's it all for?

Welcome to my first blog post for the Media Asset Creation course. In this post I will discuss copyrighting issues in this day and age. I watched a few different videos and read a few different articles. What I was surprised to notice was that there was little to no mention of the issue of moral rights in the USA. According to The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (UK) there are a number of different rights associated with work creations. Moral rights, which is one of them, is the right to object to the derogatory use of works. For example, if a piece of music was is in a pornographic movie, the owner can contest the use of the material on moral grounds. Though there are in fact many differences between UK and US rights, I’m afraid that it may take days to comb through them.


Why is it that more often than not it is these giant companies that want to sue the smaller party over copyright infringements. Have they really paid their dues? How many legendary jazz artists were just paid as session musicians? These musicians who never see pennies worth of royalties . . . I ponder. As the Swedish gentlemen said in the documentary Good Copy Bad Copy, what gives the big US Corporations the right to enforce their ideals and laws on other territories yet so unabashedly disregard those of other territories?


We are in an age where the World is at our fingertips. Even though the USA is the biggest exporter of popular culture it is by no means the ruler of the world. More and more we are expanding, experimenting, creating and remixing. And so the beauty of Creative Commons licensing allows us to safely share our creations without the big bad wolf coming after us. I just hope that great works of art, film and music do not become lost in the memory of days gone by because of licensing. A funny point here was that the company I worked for actually tried to get copyright permission to use the MLK speech in the course books but couldn’t get permission. Why would they deny the use for educational purposes? Should we then think about where the priorities lie for these licensers? Is it to better society or better their profits?

If you want to know a bit more about UK IP issues please follow the link below. http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-otherprotect/c-moralrights.htm

Chuck Chojnacki said...

I liked the fact that Vasili discussed the moral issue involved with copyrighted material. Music has the ability to transport you to a time in the past what you were doing while listening to a song comes right back to you. Someone who has original material may not want to be associated with questionable music or movies.

One of my favorite bands seems to be sampled all the time. (Queen) Sometimes I wonder what are they thinking when I hear the end result. It is almost funny; when a band is starting out they do everything they can to get heard. Play for free, post music on the web and hand out CD’s. Once a band acquires a certain amount of popularity they want to get paid for everything.

I also found the comment interesting about the United States enforcing our laws all over the world. I understand that we most likely export more “media” than other countries but do we really have the right to enforce our laws? The producers of this media want to send the product overseas to collect the dollars, but they do not like the fact that their laws may not be the same.

October 30, 2011 3:53 PM

Media Asset Creation: Week 1 Comment on Jennifer Williams’ Blog

Media Asset Creation: Copyright Issues

Thank goodness for Ted talks.  Watching these hours worth of copyright issue videos was enough to make a teacher quit her job.  So, rather than dwell on the extremes that many of these videos did, I want to focus on the little bit of hope I found within the creative commons information and within Larry Lessig’s TED talk.   

Lessig quoted John Phillips Souza in 1906 who said that these “talking machines” referring to radios will ruin the artistic development in this country.   And, in fact, the 20^th century became a culture of “read only” people.  However the 21^st century seems to be assuming artistic development again.  Thanks to the $1500 computer, the tools of creativity have become tools of speech.  It is what the next generation bases its life upon.   Yet, Lessig insists, the law has not greeted this revival with very much common sense.  It prohibits to such an extreme degree that legal creativity becomes stifled, at best.  

Creative Commons offers possibilities and hope and does in fact seem to be a “bridge to the future”.  This will begin our journey to thinking more about communities and less about content.  However, in the meantime, educators have to find a way to give our students the tools and information they need to legally create, express, and use the digital technologies that are available to them.

Media Asset Creation: Week 1 Comment on Jennifer Williams’ Blog

The reason I picked Jennifer’s blog to comment on is I am a huge fan of Ted talks. I have it on my Mac as well as my iPhone. I also find it interesting how history is repeating itself. I say that as she noted in 1906 how John Phillips Souza thought radio was going to be the death of artistic development.

People thought television would ruin our society, Elvis was evil and what the $%*l was the band KISS about. (Yes my father repeatedly asked my mother why she bought me my first KISS album.)

The point I am trying to make is this. With each new age, technology has changed and what was once taboo is now not only acceptable but also welcomed. With technology today, it is possible for a small group of people to have a weekly “TV” show on You Tube. You can create your own music and other media. Everyone can be a rock star.

This does lead to copyright issues. With the large number of performers who are sampling others work it is only natural for others to do the same. Yes, I have the technology why can’t I create my own music taking small samples from many people?

October 30, 2011 3:38 PM

Week 1 Reading Copyright Issues Information Overload

I found this week’s “reading” to be extremely interesting.  Copyright laws are something that I know little about.  I found the documentary “Good Copy/Bad Copy” to be eye opening for a number of reasons.

There has been such uproar over file sharing in the music industry and the mass production of knock-off movies. 

I believe the entertainment industry needs to embrace the use of the Internet as a distribution point for the media.  I do not believe in downloading music or movies that I have not paid for.  Having said that, I collect concert DVD’s and every once in a while someone will ask me for my Cheap Trick at Budokan DVD.  No, I do not give that out.  I would however make a copy to give out… 

I guess my point is, I understand why people need to have copyright protection, and I understand that when I buy media it is mine to use as I see fit, as long as I do not make a profit or display it in a way that it is not intended.

During the movie they discussed the digital movie making industry in Nigeria.  As someone who has some ability to produce video digitally I thought this was awesome.  I can, with little equipment, produce a video, post it on the web, have millions of people see it, and still make no money.  I can also use the Internet to introduce myself to the world. 

I am careful when making video for home.  I would love to put some of my favorite songs to a homemade video to enhance the viewing.  I won’t.  I have paid for all of the music in my iTunes and I respect the artists who have given me pleasure my whole life.  If everyone in the world did not pay for the music they listen to, no one will make music.  And that, my friend, would be a sad, sad day!

First of Many

First Blog for month 11