Copyrights and Legal Rites

“Rip, Mix, Burn Sue: Technology, Politics and the Fight to Control Digital Technology”

Throughout the CIS106 course, we were challenged to rethink conventions through which we view the world. We also discussed the resistance that accompanies to changes. During week three, we were exposed to the legal ramifications involved in technology change, the resistance to modifications in the customary way of doing things that often accompanies new technology and the system of laws that govern the economics of creativity.  In the legal sphere it appears technological changes involving the profits of the powerful are often accompanied by the ritual of suing.

Princeton Professor Edward Felton’s lecture “Rip, Mix, Burn, Sue: Technology, Politics and the Fight to Control Digital Media begins with a chapter entitled “Justice O’Connor Saves the Fast Forward Button”. Here he introduces two issues: one the tension that exists between copyright laws and control over media use by consumers, and two, the theme of problems of copyright laws impacting multiuse technologies that have both legal and illegal uses.  In the second chapter of his lecture, “The Great Earthquake”, he explains the topic of convergence as it applies the digitalization of nearly everything and introduces the concept of “the universal machine”, along with the Church-Turing Hypothesis.

Felton’s lecture illustrates the resistance to technology that we have seen in earlier material, most notably, the “What If” video.  Sousa was terrified by the danger to our vocal chords that the phonograph would be, Valenti was upset about the new control that consumers gained over the copyrighted materials that they can view on cable television and later that they can record using the VCR.  As with the changes in educational technology, changes do take hold and with them, changes in the market place and business models.

Rather than fighting change, it may be more conducive to people whose livelihood is affected by the change, to try to predict where the changes will take the industry and find ways to thrive in the changing marketplace by adjusting their business model.   As with predictions of the demise of several earlier technologies in education, the most feared harm never took place. In fact, after the Sony versus Universal decision, nearly half of the revenue that was taken by the motion picture industry was through sales and rental of videos.  Technology may displace some players and may lead to consolidation or cannibalization, within an industry.  However, opportunities exist for those who creatively adjust to, embrace and adapt to change.