In the reading, the author described how value in the economy is “most likely to be generated by competition” (89). The author, Lessig, further explains this idea by stating that copyrights put constraints on such competition. What I believe the author is referring to in these statements is that by copyrighting material, you are preventing new music from being made. While the argument is made that much of this new music isn’t worth listening to because amateurs create it, the author follows that argument with a comparison of remixes to blog posts. Remixing and blogging are done on both an amateur level and a professional level. From an amateur perspective, blog posts allow them to express their creativity, which is why they should be allowed to engage in remixing as well.
In the video clip, Can I Get an Amen narrated by Nate Robinson, Robinson explains how an old, popular song led to an advancement in the music industry. In the 1969 hit, Amen, Brother, there was a drum sequence that is now known as the ‘amen break’. The amen break was resuscitated out of the song using a sampler, which allowed for the break to be used in other work, especially in the hip-hop industry. This example of sampling exhibits how a small piece of a song can have such a large effect on music as a whole. It backs up Lessig’s point on how remixing benefits creativity.
The Grey video is another example of how powerful remixes and sampling can be. By combining a unique mix of Jay-Z and The Beatles, DJ Danger Mouse created an original album, which he called The Grey Album. An issue that occurred with the release of this album was with the copyright owners of The Beatle album. While Jay-Z’s material was actually released for the purpose of creating mash-ups and remixes, The Beatles copyright owners did not share the same view. In the end, this event led to the protesting of The Beatles copyright holders, where multiple internet servers participated in a 24 hour free download of the album, making it the number one album in the United States for that day.
Both videos are strong examples as to why remixes and mash-ups are of high value. While I don’t think copyright laws should be completely eliminated, I would argue that they could be reduced or limited. I think an artist’s material is their own material, and that if another artist wanted to use existing material, they are entitled to do so assuming they give credit where credit is deserved. I believe by allowing other artists this privilege will lead to creations of new work, potentially better than the original material.
