Balasz Bodo at The Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School presents an interesting take on the near-universal criticism of "rip-off artists" such as Timbaland, Vanilla Ice, and Obey's Shepard Fairey.
Think about it. What types of copyright cases get the most publicity: Piracy or Fair Use? What is the best way to get completely banished as a great artist? Bodo claims, and I agree, that using another artist's copyrighted work without citation or compensation is the most unhip thing that can be done now.
Read Bodo's solution after the jump...
Bodo's beef is that we may be unknowing victims to the RIAA/MPAA/Hollywood money mindset. Have they brainwashed us? Where do we draw the line between artistic freedom and copyright infringement? Where do we want to put that line? Do we even want the line?
As of now, and this is undeniable, those lines are drawn by legislators, and those legislators are paid by rich people, and copyright owners are rich. Generally, the buyers are the poorer (i.e. not major contributors to political campaigns).
I hadn't thought about Bodo's point of view, as law school has made me a knowing victim to legal logic.
But, his thoughts are very interesting. What do you think?
