Because "sampling popular culture is not a crime," or at least it damn well shouldn't be.
As I have repeated as nauseum here, I want to see creators get paid for their efforts but I also believe that copyright law in America has swung too far in their favor to the detriment of the greater culture and the consuming public. Certainly, the public should be able to borrow, mix and match from popular culture for noncommercial purposes and creators should not be able to stop them.
Mediatrips.com agrees:
- San Francisco Mediatrips Competition
SFMC is a media arts competition dedicated to Lawrence Lessig and Creative Commons. Professor Lessig follows in the steps of the great Rachel Carson. Carson's Silent Spring (1962) warned against using DDT to kill a gnat because — in the process — you also destroy the environment. Likewise Lessig warns against the use of overwhelming and oppressive tactics (like DRM chips and the DMCA) just to deal with an irritating pest/pirate.
The goal of this media arts competition is to encourage people to rip and remix events from television and film to create something new/original. Awards will be given to those who produce the best mediatrips.
SFMC - July 2004
Call for Entries
Self-expression can be a traumatic experience. Artists understand this better than most people. Many painters, writers, singers go through intense emotions just before they release their work to the public because self-expression exposes you ... and it doesnt matter if you are making a flippant remark at the office water cooler or writing the screenplay for the next Spiderman movie. Every word out of your mouth reveals more about your[self] than reality.
Stephen King has revealed a great deal about himself through his writing. He is a gifted writer whose stories have resonated with millions of people. He is the subject for the first competition. I have included a link to his profile at the Internet Movie Database. It is a good place to find films to sample/mash.
By entering the competition you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to the Terms, Rules and Guidelines of the San Francisco Mediatrips Competition.
July 2004 Competition
Subject: Stephen King
Submission Deadline: August 7, 2004
Prize: $200 (All prize money is donated to EFF. It is given on behalf of the Winner)
Sponsor: David Goldschmidt
Super cool and may the best thief win.
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