EVERYTHING IS A REMIX

Everything is a Remix Creativity & Evolution Copying Public Good v Intellectual Property

 Creativity: something new, and in some valuable way, is created  Basic elements: Copy  Transform  Combine CREATIVITY & EVOLUTION

 Remix: to combine or edit existing materials to produce something new  Social Evolution  Evolution  Copy, Transform, Combine  Social Evolution  Copy, Transform, Combine  Memes!...  Ideas, Behaviors, Skills… CREATIVITY & EVOLUTION

Copying: necessary to have a foundation of knowledge and understanding  Copying is easier than creating an original!  Ex: 74/100 highest-grossing films = remakes or sequels of existing work  Creation requires influence  Everything we make is a remix of existing creations, our lives, and the lives of others  “If I have seen further is it because I am standing on the shoulders of giants” – Isaac Newton COPYING

Copying: necessary to have a foundation of knowledge and understanding  Copying is easier than creating an original!  Ex: 74/100 highest-grossing films = remakes or sequels of existing work  Creation requires influence  Everything we make is a remix of existing creations, our lives, and the lives of others  “If I have seen further is it because I am standing on the shoulders of giants” – Isaac Newton COPYING

Ideas can be owned Intellectual Property: Ideas can be owned legal rig creator of an original work exclusive rightsuse and distribution Copyright: A legal right created by the law of a country, that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights to its use and distribution, usually for a limited time, with the intention of enabling the creator to make $$$$ PUBLIC GOOD V INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

the ability to use without permission Fair Use: the ability to use a small amount of someone’s creative work without permission, but only in certain ways  Use allowed for school, news reporting, criticism, comedy IF in small amount, new meaning given, used in a different way, and for nonprofit only use of w without permission Copyright Infringement : The use of works protected by copyright law without permission, infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder  Ex: the right to reproduce, distribute, or display the protected work  The distinction between what is fair use and what is infringement in a particular case will not always be clear or easily defined.  Ex: 1981: George Harrison lost $1.5 million  Subconscious Copying PUBLIC GOOD V INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Copyright Act of 1790 “An Act For the Encouragement of Learning”  cover media  Ex: Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission. Patent Act of 1790 “An Act to Promote the Progress of Useful Arts”  cover inventions PUBLIC GOOD V INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Copyrights & Patents: Intended to address imbalance of $ in copying v original creation (a period where no one else could copy your work)  Brief and limited period of exclusivity (a period where no one else could copy your work)  This gave creators a window to cover their investment (development $) and earn a profit enter the public domain  Public domain: after period of exclusivity, original creations enter the public domain, where creative work is not protected by copyright and is therefore free for one to use however one wa nts PUBLIC GOOD V INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 Patents  Patent: a blueprint for how to make an invention  Software Patent: a loose description of what something would be like if it were actually invented  62% of Patent lawsuits  over software patents = $500 billion  Trade Agreements v Laws  TA: Treaties, not laws, can therefore be negotiated in secret, w/ no public input and no congressional approval PUBLIC GOOD V INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 Loss Aversion promoted intellectual property  Idea that promoted intellectual property  “We hate losing what we’ve got”  When we copy, we justify it ---- When others copy, we vilify it  Opportunistic Litigation expanding reach of intellectual property  Thanks to the expanding reach of intellectual property, one can sue to make a buck  Entire business model is opportunistic litigation  They acquire a library of intellectual property rights, and litigate to make a profit  Sample Trolls and Patent Trolls PUBLIC GOOD V INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 Loss Aversion promoted intellectual property  Idea that promoted intellectual property  “We hate losing what we’ve got”  When we copy, we justify it ---- When others copy, we vilify it  Opportunistic Litigation expanding reach of intellectual property  Thanks to the expanding reach of intellectual property, one can sue to make a buck  Entire business model is opportunistic litigation  They acquire a library of intellectual property rights, and litigate to make a profit  Sample Trolls and Patent Trolls PUBLIC GOOD V INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 Loss Aversion promoted intellectual property  Idea that promoted intellectual property  “We hate losing what we’ve got”  When we copy, we justify it ---- When others copy, we vilify it  Opportunistic Litigation expanding reach of intellectual property  Thanks to the expanding reach of intellectual property, one can sue to make a buck  Entire business model is opportunistic litigation  They acquire a library of intellectual property rights, and litigate to make a profit  Sample Trolls and Patent Trolls PUBLIC GOOD V INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY