Read-Writeability of the Internet
Many of my few readers are somewhat familiar with the term Anime Music Video (AMV). An AMV consists of clips from an anime series set to a favorite song. It is made for and by the fans, fans of both the music and the anime they use. An example of a very well done AMV set to One Piece and featuring the song Sail On is available via this torrent.
Unfortunately, a couple months or so ago, Wind Up Records “politely but firmly” told a big site hosting AMVs to take down all three thousand or so of its AMVs containing music from Wind Up Records. What message does this send to the AMV creators? You’re not allowed to display what you’ve done with your favorite songs. I do not know the circumstances of all of the AMV creators, but I’m sure many of them have purchased the music they use, and/or have purchased the anime video footage they use. It’s not cool when people take something that isn’t theirs and resell it, especially when it’s been edited. However, the AMV creators in question are not profiting off someone else’s work. They are only channeling their creative abilities in a way easily shared with and shown to others. I personally see no problem with creating AMVs using my favorite songs
I support the Read-Write Internet. People should be able to showcase their creative “remixing” talents online. It is only a new venue for exploring human creativity. Throughout time, people have always allowed others to witness their own interpretations of various things, not only pertaining to the arts. The Internet, though, seems to be moving toward a Read-Only Internet as corporations continue to battle for stifling their fans’ rights to non-profit creativity. As an artist of some sort, myself, producing mostly trance music, I am open to others remixing my works. In fact, a remix is something to be appreciated, as it shows respect to the original creator. Likewise, as a writer (and photographer?) on this blog, I appreciate it when anyone takes notice to what I have to say and subsequently quotes me, or when my own articles inspire others’. Stricter controls on good-natured creativity aren’t as beneficial as the lack of them. If anything, they limit free, easy promotion. I have nothing against big corporations in general, but much of the time they do need to step back for once.
And if you want to take one thing away from this article, take this, from Lawrence Lessig’s article on FT and his article on his blog about the issue. He is currently a Stanford law professor who formerly taught at Harvard, and his articles were the ones that inspired this article, anyway.
But to those building the Read-Write internet, economics is not what matters. Nor is it what matters to their parents. After a talk in which I presented some AMV work, a father said to me: “I don’t think you really realise just how important this is. My kid couldn’t get into college till we sent them his AMVs. Now he’s a freshman at a university he never dreamed he could attend.”
The father was right. We do not realise how significant the Read-Write internet could be. Nor can I even begin to imagine how policymakers could be made to see the harm that perfecting the Read-Only internet will have for this more vibrant and valuable alternative.
