I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we are presently grappling with existential questions posed by big data and at the same time, considering the social implications of rulings by the supreme court in both Citizens United and Hobby Lobby.   In fact, I believe we have an unprecedented mandate at this point in history to more rigorously consider the ...

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 ...

Since 1996, Gene Grillo has been a staff writer and series editor for a variety of hit, animated TV series, including Johnny Bravo, Jimmy Neutron, and Back at the Barnyard, and Kung Fu Panda.  Like many comedy writers, Grillo began as an actor working with Second City in Chicago — a sketch comedy/improv group where performers are also writers.  Presently, ...

I’ve mentioned a few times that I don’t really get GoldieBlox CEO Debbie Sterling’s motivation in allowing herself and her brand to become the face of what may be a years-long copyright battle with the Beastie Boys, but these are strange and volatile times.  Still, the controversial story has brought the subject of women in engineering and technology design into ...

As the debate will no doubt rage (or stomp its feet) on the subject of copyright review in the coming year, one subject that will assuredly be on the table will be the terms of copyright (i.e. how long ownership can last). There is a persistent assumption that these terms are somehow the exclusive privilege of large corporations.  As Robert ...

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