I have said a few times on this blog that contemporary politics in the United States is increasingly reminiscent of the turbulent 19th century. We only have 2.4 centuries of existence as a nation, and it took half of that time just to begin to fulfill the promise of equality—principally by advancing of the rights of labor relative to the ...
When EFF co-founder John Perry Barlow delivered his Declararion of the Independence of Cyberspace in Davos, Switzerland in February of 1996, it was in response to the Telecommunications Act, which had become law just a month earlier. In this speech that would become a manifesto for the industry’s libertarian nature, Barlow proclaimed the web as a place beyond the scope ...
Not only musicians, but authors of all works should be deeply concerned about Rep. Sensenbrenner’s proposed “Transparency in Music Licensing and Ownership Act,” says attorney and blogger Chris Castle. Describing the proposed legislation as a new “safe harbor” for users of creative works, the new law would effectively abolish liability for infringements by large, corporate-owned business sectors like the American ...
Photo by Max Dubler. Used by permission. Last week, while I was writing my last post about photographer David Slater, a story on PetaPixel was making the rounds. Written by photographer Max Dubler, the title is a refrain of an all-too-familiar theme. No You Can’t Use My Photos on Your Brand’s Instagram for Free, says Dubler. Dubler has carved out ...
When Napster appeared in 1999, it was a bit of a perfect storm situation for fans to rationalize music piracy. Granted, people would have used the file-sharing app no matter what, but the music industry had indeed become demonstrably bloated; and one chronic complaint among consumers was that we were required to buy a $15 CD just to get two ...
