Freeing Music

   This documentary Good Copy, Bad Copy was very similar to another documentary I watched for WEPO called RIP! A Remix Manifesto. Both feature artist Girl Talk and explore the limitations on culture caused by strict copyright laws. An astounding opinion shared by many big production companies is voiced by Bridgeport Music at 7:08 when they express, "The court decided that it's illegal to take anything from a recording...and it's not creative." This ruling is a huge blow for all music genres but especially for rap and hip hop that thrives off of samples. For example, Dr. Dre in his song "100 Miles and Runnin'" sampled a guitar riff from the Funkadelic song "Get Off Your Ass and Jam." The riff is so stretched out that it sounds like a siren in the background of the song, claiming that a creative remastering such as this is not creative and illegal is extremely destructive to the industry as a whole. 

        Copyright law constantly refers to the artists' right to protect their "intellectual property." This term describes something that doesn't exist because no creation is completely original and no thought is unique. Everything we as humans know has been taught to us and all ideas including music are recycled. This isn't to discredit artistry, but copyright seriously inhibits artists in the selection of music they can freely remix. The music that is actually accessible in the public domain is extremely antiquated and irrelevant. The "war" if you would call it against piracy is very similar to the war on drugs. Costly and ineffective. 

         Sharing knowledge and culture is the greatest value the Internet has provided the modern age with. At 21:30 a similar viewpoint is shared, "If you look at the advantages of file sharing, every citizen gets all knowledge and culture at his fingertips. Each citizen is enriched in a way not seen since the advent of public libraries 150 years ago." It is a known fact that companies who encourage their audience to interact with their products are more successful and don't alienate their fans. This is seen in creative campaigns like Doritos encouraging consumers to create their own commercials with a chance for theirs to be aired during the Super Bowl. Such encouragement increases sales and creates a better relationship with consumers. Those who enjoy great success but still choose to alienate their fans like Taylor Swift removing all of her music from the internet, only distance themselves from their audience. 

        This claim is expressed throughout the documentary especially at 53:27 when Lawrence Lessig says, "The copyright maximalists, the Hollywood types, say really strict control will grow the industry faster than anything. But in fact that's wrong. Freedom drives a more vibrant economy than restriction and control." Like the creators of this documentary, I don't condone a completely free system where excessive pirating and sharing is allowed. Instead, I would argue that services like Spotify where you can pay a subscription for unlimited access to music is the future of the industry. Television is headed in the same direction with many networks allowing episodes of their shows to be available for streaming online and the popularity of Netflix. Additionally, I would also argue that copyright should only last for 15 years after its creation or perhaps just the lifetime of the creator before it reaches public domain. The current rule is the lifetime of the creator plus 70 years. This rule is extremely limiting and honestly outrageous. Slow and modestly progressive steps must be made in the entertainment industry in order to encourage creative freedom.