Stan Lee, Marvel Comics’ Real-Life Superhero, Dies at 95 — “I guess one person can make a difference … ’nuff said.”
Walt Whitman Championed Democracy and Fought for Copyright – Part I — David Newhoff shares a wonderful and well-researched look at the American poet’s views on literary property and push for international copyright protections. Be sure to also check out Part II.
The Unintended Consequences of the ‘Free’ Internet — From the Wall Street Journal, “…’free’ is intrinsic to the profit model of search and social media: to generate ads they must maximize users and engagement, which results in the lowest possible barriers to their platforms. To target those ads, they must learn as much about their users as possible. This pits volume and revenue against quality and privacy.” I would point readers also to Sean O’Connor’s essay, Creators, Innovators, and Appropriation, which makes the additional point that this business model also places pressure on copyright and creators’ rights: “The business models of Google/YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and other search firms and social media platforms rely on content as a mere ‘commodity’ that is sent through the systems by users as fuel for this community of users to engage with the platforms in ever-increasing amounts. Because the business models are largely ad-based and depend on data mining for revenue, the number one imperative for the platforms is to maximize the number of users and click-throughs…Thus, when considering all the business and revenue models, none give the search or social media platform firms any incentive to protect user or third-party creator content, other than legal compliance.”
EU copyright reforms will preserve the creative ecosystem — “So are we scared the directive will take away our jobs? No. On the contrary, increased remuneration for uploaded creative works will make it easier for artists and their partners to thrive. Do we think that platforms will deal with big companies only? No. The directive levels the playing field in a way that means we can all negotiate in a normal licensing environment. That’s how you make the ecosystem sustainable for all. This is about the artists you haven’t heard of yet.”
IPA Warns South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill Conflicts with Berne — The International Publishers’ Association issued a statement this week warning about deficiencies in proposed copyright legislation currently being considered in South Africa. “The IPA opposes the introduction of a ‘fair use’ clause that captures more permitted purposes than the ‘fair use’ clauses in other jurisdictions, which, coupled with a clause that overrides all contracts, broad co-extensive general exceptions and new exceptions for educational institutions, libraries, archives, museums and galleries, will allow reproduction and making available of entire works without the consent of or remuneration to the rights holder.”