Kopimi, greyzones, and the terror of the shuffle button

Escaping the terrorof the shuffle

Why we must think beyond copyright

Rasmus Fleischerrasmus.fleischer@gmail.com

Studio K, Amsterdam, 2008-10-02

History of copyright

•from 1800: texts

•from 1900: works

•from 2000: tools

History of copyright

•from 1800: texts

•from 1900: works

•from 2000: tools

History of copyright

•from 1800: texts

•from 1900: works

•from 2000: tools

History of copyright

•from 1800: texts

•from 1900: works

•from 2000: tools

recordsradio ≠

downloadingstreaming≈

Downloading massive amounts of music,without given permission,

is practically accepted.

Making massive music archives meaningful is not accepted.

Tools for indexing are under attack.

but

Making massive music archives meaningful is not accepted.

Tools for indexing are under attack.

The war on file-sharing undermines free licensing.

Creative Commons operates on the level of individual works, not on the level of tools.

Digital piracy is largerthan just online P2P networks!

Darknets, sneakernet...

1998: 8 GB1999: 15 GB2000: 30 GB2001: 55 GB2002: 100 GB2003: 175 GB2004: 250 GB2005: 450 GB2006: 600 GB2007: 900 GB2008: 1,5 TB2009: 2,5 TB2010: 4,5 TB2011: 7 TB2012: 12 TB2013: 20 TB2014: 35 TB2015: 60 TB2016: 100 TB2017: 175 TB2018: 320 TB

1998: 8 GB1999: 15 GB2000: 30 GB2001: 55 GB2002: 100 GB2003: 175 GB2004: 250 GB2005: 450 GB2006: 600 GB2007: 900 GB2008: 1,5 TB2009: 2,5 TB2010: 4,5 TB2011: 7 TB2012: 12 TB2013: 20 TB2014: 35 TB2015: 60 TB2016: 100 TB2017: 175 TB2018: 320 TB

In 10-15 years:All recorded music that has ever been released

will fit in a pocket, ready for copying.

...but will it have any value for us?

When all music can be listened towherever, whenever...

...we start to desire musical experiencesspecific to a time and a place.

When all music can be listened towherever, whenever...

...we start to desire musical experiencesspecific to a time and a place.

When stuff that can be copied become superabundant...

...stuff that can not be copied becomes more relevant.

Creating meaning out of superabundance:selecting, indexing, interconnecting,

contextualizing, actualizing...

Provisional communities:between public and private,

between commercial and non-commercial

Copyright law distinguishes between

1) Private use, privat copying;2) Public distribution, public performance.

The first is left free,the second thoroughly licensed.

Nothing is recognized in between.

public | private

Copyright must draw a straight line between1) Private use, privat copying;

2) Public distribution, public performance.

Nothing is recognized in between.

public | private

commercial | non-commercial

Result:Cultural activities must either be for-profit-only

or strictly “non-commercial”.

Copyright materializes in the city,as well as in computer networks.

“Creative industries”:content without context

There are no digital products.

KOPIMIcopy me

How to integrate the infinite abundance of informationinto our finite lives?

the end