Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Shifting Paradigms in Comics

ladyqkat tipped me to this comic about copyright.  Below the comic itself is the related blog post, which describes a regrettably unprofessional incident at an award ceremony. 

I'm disappointed that so many people think they have the One True Way regarding copyright.  The concept itself really isn't all that old.  It has varied radically over time, and is not universal today across cultures.  Different groups of people have different ideas about how intellectual and cultural material should be handled.  And that's okay, because laws are really just guidelines that people make up.  You have to remember that what people want can change.  A lot of the younger folks are handling data differently, not because they're too stupid to understand the older approach, but because they don't like  the older approach, they like something else better.  If or when their opinion becomes the majority, the culture's stance and the laws will change accordingly.  Or maybe someone will think of something else in the meantime, and we'll go in another direction.

Explore.  Dream.  Think.  If you don't like the way things are, imagine something new.  Consider the pros and cons of the status quo and compare them to your new idea.  And if you disagree with someone else's stance, do so responsibly.  Don't act like a jerk.  If you want people to respect you, then you need to respect them too, even when you disagree.
Tags: art, discussion, networking, writing
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  • 8 comments
panshiko

panshiko

August 31 2010, 19:58:35 UTC 10 years ago

I think the unfortunate fact is that the current model intended or no is supporting the means to fulfill the consumer's high bar for entertainment value.

But I don't think it would be so bad to do without it. Things would be different, but not a cultural void.
ysabetwordsmith

Hmm...

ysabetwordsmith

August 31 2010, 21:07:32 UTC 10 years ago

I'm a little dubious about the customer's high bar. I think alternative models of publishing are interesting, though.
panshiko

Re: Hmm...

panshiko

September 1 2010, 01:51:53 UTC 10 years ago

The consumer's bar is so high we take it for granted.
je_reviens

je_reviens

August 31 2010, 22:54:01 UTC 10 years ago

I think the current model is specifically designed to allow the Disney Comapny to preserve their own lock on Walt Disney's work, and it was specifically pushed through by Sonny Bono. Thank you Sonny.
cissa

cissa

September 5 2010, 01:42:47 UTC 10 years ago

Yes, this. I've read a LOT about copyright over the years, and tend to think it's a good idea in general- but when it's warped to favor Mickey Mouse never hitting the public domain- well, that means horrible things for all of us artists who are NOT Disney.
ysabetwordsmith

Too true...

ysabetwordsmith

September 5 2010, 02:22:23 UTC 10 years ago

I feel that a creator's work should be identified and respected. I prefer to set exclusivity at the author's lifespan, with heirs retaining the ability to profit from the properties but not to lock them up forevermore so that nobody else gets to play with them.

I note that the overly sticky fingers of the formal copyright system have created an increasing number and popularity of competing systems. I suspect it may simply be ignored to death rather than legislated away or turned into something actually effective.
je_reviens

je_reviens

August 31 2010, 22:49:26 UTC 10 years ago

In my opinion, the One True Way comes from the laws that have been enacted. There are laws and they are explicit. I would disagree that copyright is an area open to broad interpretation, as the law is now.

Most of the copyright law problems we have NOW have come from hastily enacted laws done in response to public demand. Rather than laws enacted by thoughtful people with a grasp on the reality and an eye to the future.

I would also disagree that laws are just "guidelines" bc that implies that we are free to decide for ourselves if laws are worth following. It's not a guideline to not murder, not steal, not rape people, and we have laws against all those things. Do people still do them - sure. Is that acceptable? No.
ysabetwordsmith

Thoughts

ysabetwordsmith

September 1 2010, 02:19:39 UTC 10 years ago

>>I would also disagree that laws are just "guidelines" bc that implies that we are free to decide for ourselves if laws are worth following. It's not a guideline to not murder, not steal, not rape people, and we have laws against all those things. Do people still do them - sure. Is that acceptable? No.<<

We are free to choose whether or not to follow laws. People disobey laws all the time. Often that's a bad idea; for instance, speeding is common, but it's risky behavior. Then there are laws that should not be followed, laws that are downright evil to follow. If people follow blindly, they can get sucked into doing quite ghastly things. The Fugitive Slave Law leaps readily to mind. Laws are important, but in they end they are something that people make up -- the formal expectations that a given society has of its members. They can be changed. They aren't the be-all and end-all of anything.