I'd like to blog about the July 12th, 2011 class on copyright and netizenship. As a class we examined issues around distributed learning and the digital era. In looking at today's role of copyright we had Wendy Stephens in class to discuss Canadian Copyright. I found this presentation to be extremely enlightening on the role of copyright in Canada. I was particularly surprised about the role of parody and satire covered as fair use in the USA and not in Canada. Another point I found interesting was the role of reform and technology in copyright. Wendy discussed how technology had outpaced the ability of legislation to keep pace as the current Bill C-32 is still tied up in the approval process. While new forms of media like portable hard-drives, smart phones, tablets, and cloud computing are emerging at a blistering pace making current legislation archaic as a Brontosaurs in the 21st century.
I quite enjoyed the morning discussion and it prompted me to remember a presentation that I use from TED on legal issues and education from Phillip Howard (2010) entitled, “ How to fix a broken legal system”.
(Howard, Phillip). Retrieved July 12, 2011 from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/philip_howard.html
Link to video: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/philip_howard.html
I use this video in looking at the rule of law in my Social Studies 30 class and decided to re-watch that presentation this evening (July 12, 2011). The presentation deals with fixing the confusing tangle of laws that have come to define what ethics is in the United States. Howard (2010) argues that a confusing tangle of laws has that has come to substitute for ethics, has constricted American society and harmed important societal functions like education. After watching this TED video I searched for copyright on TED and came across two additional videos.
The first one was Larry Lessig (2007) who presented on laws that impede creativity.
(Lessig, Larry). Retrieved July 12, 2011 from http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_lessig_says_the_law_is_strangling_creativity.html
Link to video: http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_lessig_says_the_law_is_strangling_creativity.html
Lessig's argument is for allowing of mixing and mashing of online content and he tracks the architecture of copyright law development over the course of the 20th century in the United States. I found this video interesting as it highlighted some of the discussions we had in class around the use of online resources.
The final video I found was a presentation by Margaret Gould Stewart (2007) who is YouTube's head of User Experience. She explains how YouTube's computer system detects copyrighted material then checks multiple agreements with content providers and applies their wishes in regards to copyrighted material. Interestingly enough most content holders allow usage in order to expand their exposure. What was shocking for me in this presentation is that each day YouTube deals with 100 years of video or 20 hours of uploaded video per real-time minute (Gould, 2007)!
(Stewart, Gould Margaret) Retrieved July 12, 2011 from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/margaret_stewart_how_youtube_thinks_about_copyright.html
Link to video: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/margaret_stewart_how_youtube_thinks_about_copyright.html
Gould (2007) makes an interesting argument for a revision of copyright law by elaborating on the content detection system YouTube uses and the ability of content providers to register their wishes into the system. I found all three of the videos uplifting in a manner of speaking. What I mean is that when I think of copyright law I tend to envision corporations greedily attempting to bend the law to their maximum advantage and able to do so. These TED presentations showed me that copyright law can be vibrant, inclusive and enable creativity in a way that I had not envisioned before.
Lee
(Howard, Phillip). Retrieved July 12, 2011 from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/philip_howard.html
Howard, Phillip. (February, 2010). Four ways to fix a broken legal system [video file] Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/philip_howard.html
(Lessig, Larry). Retrieved July 12, 2011 from http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_lessig_says_the_law_is_strangling_creativity.html
Lessig, Larry (March, 2007) Larry Lessig on law that choke creativity [video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_lessig_says_the_law_is_strangling_creativity.html
(Stewart, Gould Margaret) Retrieved July 12, 2011 from
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/margaret_stewart_how_youtube_thinks_about_copyright.html
Stewart, Gould Margaret (February, 2010) How YouTube thinks about copyright [video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/margaret_stewart_how_youtube_thinks_about_copyright.html
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