Drew's Blog
This tiny bird lives in the remote regions of Australia and is very difficult to photograph. I went to a lot of trouble and expense to make this image, so why should someone be able to use it for free?
The thing about violating copyright that drives me nuts is that people do it without a second thought because most people know that they won’t get caught, or it isn’t worth the time of the copyright holder to prosecute the offender. After all, there isn’t a police force out there that protects copyright holders (unless you are dealing with major movie/music/product piracy and then it is the FBI). For the most part, someone like me would have to hire a lawyer, get a cease and desist order written, and then send it to the offender. This is not a cheap endeavor and likely won’t result in any returns. The reality is, if that person had just asked, they might have been given permission. Instead, the culture is “better to ask for forgiveness than permission” and it drives me crazy.
One of the interesting things I found by watching these videos as they were primarily from the perspective of the user rather than the creator. What makes it even more interesting is that a number of those people (primarily the documentary folks) are using the copyrighted material to create commercial products (documentaries) that they then copyright. I find that when these discussions come up people want to use the work created by other people but they don’t want other people to use their work.
For a couple decades now, Internet users have had the expectation of getting things for free but this is a false premise. We can see this transformation coming in the world of journalism where places like the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have finally started charging subscription fees for the content they provide online. After all, people used to pay for the print version and they weren’t paying to simply have the physical newspaper in their hands, they were paying for the content. Because the internet isn’t a physical object, people think it doesn’t have costs associated with it, but that is far form the truth. The content still needs to be produced regardless of whether it is printed on your screen or printed on newsprint. The value is the content and until we start to accurately assess this value, it is going to be difficult to regulate copyright violation in this new digital world. I think we are headed that way, but we aren’t there yet.
Nikki's Response:
I really appreciate your voice on this topic, as it lends a different perspective than the majority of us as educators. Your frustration with this issue comes through clearly and is valid. I know with many of the photos that are returned from my searches come with a watermark that cannot be removed unless the photo is paid for. Is this something that you are able to do? Please forgive my naiveté as I am not in the industry, but it seems like a viable solution providing it is not too expensive and easily removed by those more tech savvy than myself.
I recently read a blog that helped to shape my perspective on the current SOPA legislation and may be of interest to you: http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2012/01/20/welcome-to-pirate-my-books/
Thanks again for your forthright perspective. I’d love to see some of your work.