COPYFRIGHT! Creative Confusion in the Digital Age
- Posted: 10th Jun 2010
- Category: Articles
- Tags: copyright copyleft open source digital economy
Copyright at the best of times is an enigma, keeping retinues of lawyers armed with joined-up jargon in its employment. Filmmakers are often forced into confronting this bewildering and frequently dull issue as film by its nature is the sum of so many different parts. No longer the preserve of creators and distributors, copyright in the digital age affects audiences almost as much as the filmmakers.
How does it impact on the ways we make, distribute and watch documentaries? It’s a big question, and in the Copyfright season we’re not going to attempt to answer it, but rather to explore some of the issues raised by focusing on those case studies and points of view that illustrate the debate.
New laws from the government’s Digital Britain agenda propose to clamp down on the consumption of digital media and the way it is shared and passed on. Despite the hurried new laws, copyright in the digital age is far from being clarified and is set to fan the flames of indignation for months to come. Lobbyists are polarized and campaign fiercely on both sides of the spectrum. One side argues for strengthening copyright with stringent regulatory measures, whilst the other side maintains that by doing so, the creative freedoms offered by the internet are in complete jeopardy.
Evidence is mounting that online video watching is threatening TV’s dominance - broadcasters and distributors are having to think quick, as it’s a potentially worrying situation for their revenue and future budgets. At the same time, film production costs have never been so low, and access to information and footage so available; independent filmmakers have a platform on the internet from which they can potentially reach thousands. The victims and beneficiaries are not predictable.
In a radical move, Sixteen Films - Ken Loach’s production company - are harnessing freely accessed online video to boost their viewership. In the same month, the first YouTube user in the UK has had his entire account, holding over 900 videos, deleted and blocked after uploading a video from a gig by comedian Jimmy Carr.
Has the growth of the internet led to an exponential boost for creativity and education or does it harbour losses for the many that struggle to be heard in its clamour? Does access to information sometimes need to be restricted or does it amount to censorship? What has changed radically about the way that film is disseminated and how does this affect new filmmakers? Does reinforcing copyright on the internet make sense for establishment filmmakers, or has copyright infringement actually benefited them in some way?
DFG opens up this debate to several stakeholders in the industry to sift through opinion residing at different points along the spectrum. By doing so, we hope to investigate the ramifications for filmmakers at different stages of their career, both inside and outside of the industry.
We kick off this season by offering you an exciting interview with Rebecca O’Brien, Ken Loach’s longstanding producer. She talks about why Ken Loach’s entire back catalogue of films have been put on YouTube in a bid to provide greater access to his films - at the risk of ire from distribution companies. In the weeks to come, we hope to bring you opinion, often divided, from directors, distributors and archive specialists amongst others. We would love to have your comments as essentially this season is all about chucking out the jargon surrounding copyright and wrongs, and getting to the heart of an issue that is set to impact on every documentary filmmaker - if not already, then very soon...
Interested? Then read these:
Ken Loach: UK's YouTube Pioneer?
Olly Lambert: Stealing a Penny from a Rich Man
COPYFRIGHT! Get Off Your Arse and Read This Article!
COPYFRIGHT! Conveying the Right Message: Digital Copyright and Dogwoof
COPYFRIGHT! They think we're fools: Copyright from an Indie Filmmaker's View
Comments
Please login to post a comment.
Posted by Kerry McLeod on 25-11-10
Cory Doctorow's article for The Guardian makes for interesting reading http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/23/copyright-digital-rights-cory-doctorow?CMP=twt_gu What do we want from copyright, as artists and creators? And how can that work in the digital age? So basically the question we've been asking during this season!