View my original post here.

Objectives:

— Become acquainted with copyright as a historic, cultural and economic paradigm and its value and pertinence to creative works

— Explore the changing nature of copyright in the context of “remix culture” and the “fifth world”

Reflection:

I enjoyed this topic a lot.  Remixing is something that is relatively new in the context of art history, and it’s a really great addition.  The act of taking one or more things that are old and turning it into something new is great.  It allows amateurs to express their own artistic ideas and break into the art world, and it allows old works to be reinvisioned and reimagined in order to make them last longer.  Remixing also leads to collaborations of different artists, and sometimes even totally different genres to create a new style of art.  I am always excited when I discover a really good remix because it just proves that expanding our concept of art and shaping things into something that hasn’t previously been an art form is a valid way to express ourselves artistically.

Something that I learned a lot about though, is copyright.  The only thing that is difficult about remixing is copyright, and how it effects the culture of remixing.  Copyright is important mainly for one reason, that that is to make sure that the artist gets the money and recognition that their art brings.  It also serves to protect their intellectual property, but this is a slippery slope.  Copyrights can prevent remix culture from becoming big, and that is a problem.  Remix culture is focused on the amateurs, who create content for their own crowds.  This keeps the culture alive and active, which is important if it is going to survive.  Copyrights protect professionals, who mass produce content and have more resources and time than the amateurs do.  This difference already makes it difficult for the amateurs to create, and adding copyrights on top of that makes it even more difficult.  While it is important for artists to benefit from their work, I also think that amateurs and remixers should be able to do their thing as well.

Future:

Remix culture is incredible.  While I haven’t done a lot of remixing myself, I love the community and I love the content.  I definitely have a new appreciation for it now that I’ve learned more about the history and the process involved in it.  I hope to get more involved in both the creation and the community of remix culture in the future.