Thomas Edison was a Pirate.
I had the pleasure today to speak at Northern Voice 2009. I’m so grateful to the crew of volunteers that have been putting on this world class event for the past 5 years.
I shared some of my theories on Mash Media with a savvy and engaged crowd. The session was “hijacked” by some really interesting questions on copyright law. Seeing that I’m not a copyright lawyer I could only speak on my own personal views on the subject. Some of my own personal views were formed based on:
The Pirates Dilemma by Matt Mason
It makes a good point that we all violate copyright every time we sing Happy Birthday. Information is a two way street that is decentralized and democratized. Piracy allowed America to industrialize very quickly thanks to stealing patents. Thomas Edison was seen as a pirate for inventing the gramophone. Musicians feared Edison.
I sensed that same fear today when I presented some of my own personal theories on storytelling and art making. I was surprised to read that an attendee was scared of my views on copyright. Admittedly, saying “fuck copyright” was a little harsh on my part
RIP: A Remix Manifesto
“It’s beneficial to share ideas.” “Sharing is the nature of creation”
Lessig Remix
Creating, not consuming is the order of the day.
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