I can’t help but be aware of a disturbing harmonic buzz in my head when I read two stories on the same day that point to a particular digital age dichotomy. Remember Sarah Jones? You might have helped her story go viral. Sarah was a camera assistant, who was killed when she was struck by a train during filming of ...

If you’re a songwriter frustrated by our music licensing system (which is to say a songwriter), then maybe it’s time to craft a ditty that sounds funny coming out of a fake animal. In all seriousness, last week saw the passing of Memphis legend Mabon “Teenie” Hodges, guitarist and songwriter, who created several hits in collaboration with singer Al Green.  ...

Yeah, it’s a week to jump all over Google, but what the hell.  Following up on yesterday’s post about YouTube’s forceful negotiations with independent musicians, I realize that music and motion pictures get a lot of attention while photography too often gets swept aside.  And not just professional photos, any photos.  Still images, wether professional or amateur, are a critical ...

We spend a lot of time talking about the pros and cons of technological disruption in the creative industries.  And each of us has our theories and predictions as to what the future might look like for a market like the United States.  And to be honest, the discussions often revolve around how we should or should not be responding ...

In 1997, the Electronic Frontier Foundation bestowed its prestigious Pioneer Award upon an 82-year-old movie star and posthumously to an avant-garde music composer.  The movie star was Hedy Lamarr, the composer was George Antheil; and their collaboration as amateur inventors during the early days of America’s entry into World War II led to a working model for a signal transmission ...

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