Chapter 5
In Chapter 5, the text states “Copyright, from day one, was designed to be both an impediment and an incentive, a mechanism of enclosure (one that prevented the unlicensed printing of texts, thereby limiting access), a catalyst of sorts, a structure to stimulate the production of literary goods by rewarding writers and publishers for the labor”
With the growth of digital media, it seems that distributing the work of others has become the norm. Social media is constantly plagued with inspirational quotes, sometimes referencing the author, other times it does not. We are able to share this work with thousands of people online which, in actuality violates copyright laws, however, it seems that these laws are now outdated and cannot apply to the digital age.
The two basic arguments are that culture can be owned and passed from heir to heir without concern for the wider public, while those in support of openness say that any restrictions on the use of cultural artifacts is an assault of individual freedom. What’s interesting is that the supporters of openness fail to acknowledge that said openness results in the inequality that they are trying to prevent. While they argue that all work belongs to the public and not the makers because all work is “built on prior creativity,” they essentially reduce the value of these creative works by allowing for them to be shared freely online. Additionally, they support “free culture” and believe it will end artist exploitation without realizing that in some ways, it is the public that exploits the artist by demanding his work be shared freely. What is overlooked is the fact that some of the support for “free culture” comes from venture capitalist who see a way to make money. The text gives examples of Facebook and Google who make their money by controlling the platforms on which people distribute various kinds of media and sell access to their user base to advertisers. As a result, more copying and sharing means more profit for those at the top, while the creators themselves stand to profit less or not at all by their work being shared freely online.
