"Earlier generations of technology have presented challenges to existing copyright law, but none have posed the same threat as the digital age." -John V. Pavlik, New Media Technology, 1996
In a recent debate led by Bill Rosenblatt, president of GiantSteps Media Technology and consisting of Dean Marks, Joe Kraus and Tim O'reilly, Kraus stated "Sixty million users have downloaded music P2P-downloading software. We've created a virtual Library of Alexandria with music. More people have downloaded music than voted for the president." Although this may seem comical, the copyright debate is an issue which has consistently affected the media industry especially since the development of new media. The copyright debate emphasises both the importance of piracy and protection over property verses creativity and freedom of the Web.
I feel the copyright debate is like questioning whether the USA and its allies should have invaded Afghanistan? It is an ongoing argument in which there will always be two parties who feel strongly about the views. Although the general consensus about copyright seems to be that it is a negative thing, I sometimes wonder whether it can be turned on it's head. Could copyright be a thing of the future enhancing new media as a platform?
Before I go any further, Yes I do download illegally, (holds hands up in guilt) however as far as the copyright law is concerned, the majority of you reading have also broke the law and should be punished! I regularly download music off P2P websites and torrents. However as a avid consumer of music it would simply be too expensive for me to pay for every single song my ipod consists of. This is one of the major arguments in which consumers often use. Money in our current economy is probably the most valued it has ever been and unfortunately for artists and media conglomerates, I like many others was born into a generation which lives for the benefits of new media and money saving resulting in the flourishment of illegal downloading and copyright laws being ignored.
Prior to the debate we had in our class, my argument was, why should I pay for something that is available online for free? You wouldn't throw a wad of money at a rich person would you? The world wide web and its services cannot be controlled and therefore there will always be people who feel they can exploit it for the benefit of themselves. However in my opinion copyright may also be a good thing. For example independent artists may use YouTube as a way of self-advertisement by singing covers of artists who are already famous. I feel it is more likely for an individual to listen to a youtube cover of a Beyonce or Rihanna song rather than an artist they have never heard of. If this was not possible, artists such as Justin Beiber and Jasmine Sullivan who were discovered through their Youtube videos of themselves would not exist. From singing in his bathroom, to selling out stadiums, Justin Beiber has become a phenomenon, and he owes it all to YouTube. Below I have included a video of Justin Beiber singing a song by the well known artist Brian McKnight named 'Back at one'. This further develops my argument that using songs that other artists have created may benefit the independent artist. The video has been viewd by over 12 million people!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHFF2VrHOa8&feature=plcp&context=C4d82f99VDvjVQa1PpcFOAKrjXCvPIPbUp4liCVb9f7cY_qPmf3_U%3D
Indeed in aiming to advertise themselves, the original artists of the music also reap from this. The independent artists are not getting paid for doing free covers on the Internet however for every one person who hears the cover and decides to legally download the original artists track, the artist is benefitting from it due to the consumer or independent artist using digital content to create new forms of media, from multiple content resources. Therefore the misuse of the Internet may lead to beneficial outcomes for both parties.
After the debate in class, I began to consider the opposing side of this argument which suggests that the breech of copyright laws is only beneficial for consumers and in fact may damage business models. I started to think about how I would feel if later on in my media career, I began producing content which members of the public freely used and re-created without any acknowledgement of myself the original creator. Although during the debate in class I was arguing in favour of the consumers who freely use and download content on the Internet, I must admit I couldn't help but agree with some of the opposing sides arguments. People like me do present quite a loss of money for artists and conglomerates which may not have had an immense impact on the current media industry, but leads me to question the long-term effect. What if everyone decides to freely download illegally? This may present a serious threat to the future of traditional forms of media consumption.
Many may argue that illegally downloading music onto your ipod or phone is just not the same quality as owning the original product. For example, some feel having a CD, Vinyl or DVD will be of better quality than illegal copies. (I've never had a problem with this though I must say) Illegal downloading and consumption of products on the world wide web however may not be as bad as it seems. Infact its influence may not be as significant as we think. DVD sales with copyright protection has skyrocketed, meaning society may not be filled with illegal-downloading fiends such as myself.
Prior to the debate in class, I would have never considered downloading anything for a price and if I am being totally honest with you I still don't think I will pay for downloading and the use of content. In my opinion, it is simply too hard to make the transition from the consumer world of "I want" to a new consumer world of "I want it and will pay for it." However, the debate we participated in during the workshop has allowed me to consider the effects of illegal downloading on producers. I feel with the emergence of new technologies and business models does not mean laws should be thrown out of the window. Although I take advantage of its current benefits, I do not feel illegal content downloading and usage should be left to flourish but should instead be altered to satisfy both parties. This could be done by possibly finding the right price point for the right content.
KenRG demonstrates a good online version raising key points on the copyright debate. Take a look below!
References http://www.infotoday.com/it/oct03/dykstra.shtml
www.youtube.com
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