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That's an interesting view. I see what you mean, but I don't think copyright stops us from using other's works. There's a huge cultural zietgiest that is regula
by stinkytaco 9y ago
That's an interesting view. I see what you mean, but I don't think copyright stops us from using other's works. There's a huge cultural zietgiest that is regularly appropriated for new content that doesn't require directly copying other's words or pictures. Shakespeare taking the well known story of Romeo and Juliet and writing a play is quite different than Shakespeare taking someone else's play and putting it on with his theater company and under his name. One is acceptable under copyright law, and the other, I would argue, is unacceptable under moral law (the underlying legal theory behind copyright).
And there are provisions in the law meant to mitigate some of this: the protection of transformative use and fair use.
I believe copyright needs reform, but in the days of mass distribution controlled by a small number of large companies (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, etc.), I think it might be more important than ever.
- Retric 9y ago>directly copying other's words or pictures That's not how copywrite works. It directly covers derivative works. Disney is well known for remixing existing stories, but they can only do that for things that are in the public domain. They can't retell Harry Potter at Hogwarts. They can only come up with some other story not simply improve an existing one.
- stinkytaco 9y agoI understand that derivative works are limited, I'm just trying to understand how allowing Disney to make a Harry Potter movie makes the world better. Or perhaps more important how allowing a major media conglomerate who has a huge distribution and marketing reach to co-opt the work of a small producer makes the world better. In Shakespeare's time when distribution was limited and it was possible only to show a play to a limited audience and travel was difficult, I can see how this had limited harm, but the situation is very different today.
- Retric 9y agoIn this case it's not about Disney. The question is Harry Potter the best possible Harry Potter story? Handing artists full control means ever larger sections of culture become ever more limited as there are now gatekeepers preventing others from improving on said work. We are hollowing out our culture by allowing not just artists, but companies to control ever larger chunks or our zeitgeist forever. Remember, distribution is no longer limited. Platforms like YouTube mean anyone can reach everyone on the planet for free.