Kimesha, Dimitri and Steve

According to the Grey video, copyright law dates back to the early 1710’s and gave authors control over who could make copies of their books or build on their work but for only a limited time. The law’s purpose is still the same but after many changes by congress, it lasts for lifetime of the author plus 70 years. Both Grey and Lessig agree that copyright is stifling creativity in that we are not allowed to recreate and remix using other people’s content. Lessig’s discussion of this was in relation to digital technologies since our generation is built on technology; it is how we communicate with one another. A defense of copyright is fair use. The idea of fair use depends of the nature, extent and economic aspect of the work being used. The Center for Social Media reading discusses fair use for educational purposes. How educators are allowed to use different media in teaching students and help them learn. This is demonstrated in Faden’s video. He edited different clips from Disney movies to explain how copyright works and what it entails.

What are some other examples of amateur culture that you have seen or created?

Should artists and creators allow their work to be available more freely?

Is there any copyrighted material that you think should not be copyrighted?

Do you have any suggestions on how to make copyright laws more understandable?

How would the absence of a copyright law affect creativity?