Posted on 16 June 2008 by r
The New York Times recently had an article about the recent makeovers of some of your favorite (and least) favorite 80s icons, including Strawberry Shortcake. (International Herald Tribune version here). Another site had a hypothetical breakdown of what the costs of Ms. Shortcake’s makeover would be.
“We’re downplaying characters that were part of Strawberry’s world but [...]
Filed under: Cultural appropriation, Japan, Strawberry Shortcake, fandom, fangirl, intellectual property, restart | No Comments »
Posted on 10 June 2008 by r
This video of Kermit the Frog singing plaintively (about his love for Miss Piggy?) has been making the rounds for at a while and it brings up an interesting discussion of cultural appropriation and copyright — when is it acceptable to use someone else’s work for your own entertainment? This video is simultaneously making a [...]
Filed under: Cultural appropriation, Nine Inch Nails, copyright, cultural ownership, intellectual property, muppets, music, remix culture | No Comments »
Posted on 24 April 2008 by r
Last week the testimony ended in the Harry Potter Lexicon case regarding whether J.K. Rowling can prevent the print publication of the Lexicon, a non-licensed encyclopedia of the Harry Potter universe. While barely mentioned during the trial, this case is not just about one unwanted book, but concerns the entire Harry Potter fan community.
From most [...]
Filed under: Cultural appropriation, Harry Potter, authenticity, copyright, fair use, fan labor, fandom, fangirl, fans, fanworks, intellectual property, the best fan or customer is mad | 1 Comment »
Posted on 6 April 2008 by r
The ownership issues involving Superman have always been contentious but not factually disputed — two teenagers created Superman and then sold their rights for a miniscule amount. Litigation ensued in bursts for decades, with the original creators dying and their heirs taking up their cause, and the owner/licensor of Superman, Warner Bros/ Time Warner, making [...]
Filed under: American comics, Cultural appropriation, Superman, attribution, copyright, cultural ownership, economic analysis, fans, intellectual property, political economy, we own it we can do what we want | No Comments »
Posted on 25 February 2008 by r
Summary of review of OurSpace by Christine Harold: Highly suggested for purchase by libraries, scholars, and readers interested in the history, significance, and theory of culture jamming and other types of social cultural resistance to corporate ownership, but not best source of information for application of law to these practices.
Throughout the book, Harold shows her [...]
Filed under: Cultural appropriation, copyright, cultural ownership | No Comments »