quoted in the Ecstasy of Influence

A great Harper's article on the relationship of authorship to creation.  Highlights:

"Any text that has infiltrated the common mind to the extent of Gone With the Wind or Lolita or Ulysses inexorably joins the language of culture. A map-turned-to-landscape, it has moved to a place beyond enclosure or control. The authors and their heirs should consider the subsequent parodies, refractions, quotations, and revisions an honor, or at least the price of a rare success." 

I've long thought that a reasonable plan. 

A great article by Steve McLaughlin about what Free Culture means, and how and why to get involved.

“Gatz” has been on the international avant-garde circuit, earning good reviews in Brussels and Amsterdam over the last few months. But despite the encouraging notices and adoring producers, New Yorkers will not get to see this production — at least not in the near future. Out of courtesy to another version of “The Great Gatsby,” the F. Scott Fitzgerald estate barred Elevator Repair Service from presenting “Gatz” in its hometown.

"Full copyright applies to most stuff on the web. But this search helps you find photos, music, text, and other works whose authors want you to re-use it for some uses -- without having to pay or ask permission."

In this work, Lessig describes how the architecture of the internet was designed to foster creation and innovation, and how recent changes in the law and behavior of the internet are serving to stifle the very creation that has flourished on the internet.

Describes the current legal battles over the sharing of guitar tableture for songs. RIAA says composers are losing money that could be made from selling sheet music -- guitar enthusiasts are sharing tips and tricks for playing. Are there free speach issues? Tableture as new copyright issue.

In Code, Lessig describes how control mechanisms that have traditionally been regulated through law are becoming regulated by technology instead, and how this process is shifting the locus of control from the public to the private spheres.

This Wiki is designed to allow for community updating of the book "Code" published in 1999.

A graphic novel about fair use, Bound By Law explores copyright issues through an entertaining story about the trials and tributations of a heroic documentary film maker.
“Will a spiky-haired, camera-toting super-heroine... restore decency and common sense to the world of creative endeavor?” -Paul Bonner, The Herald-Sun
"Bound By Law lays out a sparkling, witty, moving and informative story about how the eroded public domain has made documentary filmmaking into a minefield.” -Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing.net

The original home of "Free Culture," libraries rely on copyright law for their very existence. Librarians have been addressing issues around copyright and culture for years, working to make the academic and creative output of the world available to our users. Below, find a collection of resources from the University of Pennsylvania Library about Free Culture. And while you're here, add your own voice to the conversation about Free Culture at Penn by using PennTags to tag resources you find about Free Culture.

This is an introduction to copyright issues for undergraduates at Penn. It explains how you can use works without getting sued.

This is an annotated list of important articles, blogs, and webpages that discuss open access and copyright issues on campuses throughout the United States.

Elsevier and Wiley launch an offensive against the Federal Research Public Access Act of 2006.

Blog post compares an incredible jack white coke commercial with a very similar japanese music video.

The Community Patent Project aims to design and pilot an online system for peer review of patents. The Community Patent system will support a network of experts to advise the Patent Office on prior art as well as to assist with patentability determinations. By using social software, such as social reputation, collaborative filtering and information visualization tools, we can apply the “wisdom of the crowd” – or, more accurately the wisdom of the experts – to complex social and scientific problems. This could make it easier to protect the inventor’s investment while safeguarding the marketplace of ideas.

As members of these institutions of higher learning, we believe that universities have an opportunity and a responsibility to improve global access to public health goods--particularly those they have helped develop.

The PlayLouder MSP takes a broadband ISP infrastructure and optimizes it for delivering music.

CopyNight is a monthly social gathering of people interested in restoring balance in copyright law. We meet over drinks once a month in many cities to discuss new developments and build social ties between artists, engineers, filmmakers, academics, lawyers, and many others.

Taxpayer access removes these barriers by making the peer-reviewed results of taxpayer-funded research available online, and for no extra charge to the American public.

Wikipedia definition of AMV with some links to AMV sites.

Downhill Battle is a non-profit organization working to support participatory culture and build a fairer music industry.

FreeCulture.org's 2006 National Summit
April 21-23, Swarthmore College