This seems to be one of the largest moral quagmires of our age.
Everyone can understand that if YOU were putting your own blood, sweat, and tears — not to mention, cold hard cash, on the line to create these true artistic masterpieces… whether it be film, music, software, whatever… You would want to be sure you were SELLING copies of it… not GIVING it all away for free. It’s only fair. Like any other work.
On the other hand, the public seems to have an innate moral sense that… once it’s created, and published… It’s fair game to “give” it, or “share” it, with anyone and everyone. And anyone who tries to prevent that “sharing”… is the BAD guy… a Big Brother of sorts.
It’s a bizarre paradox of scruples.
According to the analysis of Andy Baio of Waxy.org — if I am understanding it (please correct me if I am wrong)… It seems to suggest that the MORE anti-piracy measures, copy-protection technologies, and DRM stuff… that a motion picture company puts into place… the LESS likely that films will succeed in: (1) being seen by larger numbers of people, and (2) being nominated and winning major awards — like the Oscar — thus further reducing the fame and notoriety of the film.
And conversely, the LESS anti-piracy measures, and copy-protection technologies, that a motion picture company implements… the higher the chances that their film will be seen by a much larger audience… and the higher the chances that their film will be nominated and win at the Oscars…
Then, to throw one more wrench into the mix… There are those producing content which they WANT people to freely distribute — to share and share alike… and the file-sharing technologies are the PERFECT distribution mechanism for those. (Like our shows, for example.)
Where will it all lead?
If record stores (aka music stores, CD/DVD stores) dropping like flies… is the miner’s canary… warning us of things to come…
EVERY SOFTWARE CONTENT CREATOR business will be in trouble… This includes the makers of music, films, books, audiobooks, and software of all kinds — even scientific developments such as new drug formulas.
What will a world without copyright be like?
Singers have had to come out of retirement to hit the road doing live concerts again… to make their mortgage payments.
What will REALLY happen to the spirit of creativity, art, inspiration, etc.
The naysayers say that creativity will die a slow painful death.
Meanwhile, the descendants of Leonardo da Vinci ARE NOT receiving royalty payments from every viewer of the Mona Lisa…? Are they? Even while he was alive, did Leonardo da Vinci EVER receive royalty payments from each viewer of his paintings?
Did the fact that he did not receive 3 cents per viewing… act as deterrent to his creativity?
Things that make you go, “Hmmmmm…”
Maybe this “brave new world” — a world where copyright is an unenforceable thing of the past… will be a world that looks VERY MUCH like the real world of the past…
One thing I know for sure: Creativity will not die.
The ability to SHARE your art to an audience of UNLIMITED size — without the need for intermediary networks, agents, production companies, distributors, promoters, theater and venue organizations, and retailers… all taking their cut along the way… might in fact have these results:
- ANYONE creative can create their own masterpiece.
- ANYONE who creates something awesome can distribute it to a worldwide audience without anyone’s permission, and without a monetary investment.
- The awards and accolades bestowed on the Best will be based on a much more democratic audience — not just a tiny incestuous group of industry insiders.
- We all might just learn that the Best creations DO NOT cost $43 million to produce. They might be produced with a budget of only $4300… or $43.
- We might also learn that a bucket of butter-flavored popcorn should NOT cost $8… and that it’s not healthy for us anyway.
The concept of Public Domain — whereby a creative work reverts to the free use of the public after a certain specified period of time of protection — came from the sense that… It is in the higher good of society for these ideas to be freely shared, and built upon.
In this day and age of super-fast development of new concepts, sharing of ideas, and distribution of new content… Perhaps it would be appropriate if the period of time which copyright offers protection… were be reduced. So that the creators of content could profit as much as possible in the very beginning, but the work would more quickly revert to the public domain… benefiting all of humanity… from first-world… to third-world…
These same concepts, by the way, apply to things such as new drug formulas — like the latest treatments for HIV — just as much as the latest CD released by Britney Spears…
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Comment by Bruce — March 18, 2007 @ 7:20 pm |