There is no better example of the political economy of the present copyright system than a recent detailed analysis of the very-likely public domain status of Happy Birthday. If not copyrighted, than why the copyright claim?
Because it is
a revenue-generating juggernaut, producing more than $2-million a year in fees for Warner Music and the offspring of [...]
Filed under: copyright, cultural ownership, intellectual property, political economy, public domain, we own it we can do what we want | 1 Comment »
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 »
Dan Gillmor on the Center for Citizen Media blog writes about the good and bad about online group-based participation.
The good happens when community is created and supported:
People do things for many reasons, but it’s always about getting something of value back. The value may be a psychic reward of doing something good for someone else. [...]
Filed under: economic analysis, political economy | 1 Comment »
So by now, Nine Inch Nails decision to dump its (his?) record label has been well publicized. Trent Reznor has been a pretty vocal opponent of the record industry’s excessive CD pricing for years now.*
What’s been less publicized is NIN’s unusually collaborative relationship with its fans, especially when it comes to remixes. Trent Reznor has [...]
Filed under: fandom, intellectual property, political economy, remix culture | 1 Comment »
