Mini-Review of Larry Lessig’s presentation at the TED.COM conference
Posted by gljones on December 9, 2007
This is a mini-review of Larry Lessig’s talk on “How creativity is being strangled by the law”. This presentation was on TED.COM.
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/187
Trust and tradition is difficult for many people to accept. Common sense is not always used when law and “the way things have always been done” conflicts.
Broadcasters came together and created BMI to publish public domain items. Before this, there was a monopoly by a company who was charging what they wanted for music. Competition created a better broadcast world in the long room. But, broadcasters still controlled the majority of the music.
Today, kids have computers, and technology, to create their own works. This is new. It also frightens those whose creative works have been sold for financial gain in the past, because they may not make their money. This brings us to the copyright laws of today and public domain issues.
It is a shame when common sense is not the usual principal that people follow when using the internet. The internet is becoming the world. And those items shared by others on the internet must be examined and fair useage must be followed. But what amount of sharing is fair? When does tradition and the “how we always did it” get put aside for the good of the masses?
During the presentation, Mr. Lessig mentions the legal case over 50 years ago when two farmers sued the aircraft industry for the tresspassing of airplanes on their property. You see, for hundreds of years before, any area of your property, including extending into space, was yours and yours alone. The courts ruled that times had changed and that common sense must prevail for technology to continue to advance.
The same is said of today. With the internet and computers, anyone can be a creator of any type of work. Therefore, we must all use “common sense” when sharing and viewing other’s creative works. After all, it is only fair!
