millsworks

This is a really cool music video put together by Kutiman. I found it over on Lawrence Lessig’s blog.

The music you hear has been composed from the audio of the YouTube videos you see. This new work has been created entirely from remixing old work. Lessig uses it as an example of what his book REMIX addresses, namely: the existing system of copyright is busted all the fuck up and it needs more than mere reform.

The ability to do this sort of work was never envisaged by the original creators of copyright law – yet the existing powers who benefit the most from these decaying rules (RIAA, MPAA, etc.) continue to pervert the copyright laws through misinformation, litigation and corruption of the judicial and legislative processes, not for the oft proclaimed protection of artists rights but to retain their dominant position of control and profit which they see eroding before their very jaded eyes.

TorrentFreak reports on how major artists are starting (finally) to fight back against the greed of the media industry with the formation of their own lobby group.

Watching further examples of Kutiman’s remixes only serves to reinforce the notion that the old rules of copyright no longer apply when new technologies invade and evolve our cultures. Our rules need to evolve or dissolve to address the needs of everyone, not just a self-elected business elite.

In time, all this will be sorted out and we will eventually find ourselves living in a world that makes a little more sense and is still filled with music, stories and moving pictures to enhance and entrance our lives. In the meantime we have to put up with the bullying and hypocritical posturing of the deep pockets and lying loud mouths of the old school decaying dinosaur music, film and television industries. Okay fine. Let ‘em rant. Let ‘em rave. Just don’t let ‘em have their way.

We’ll still be here after their long gone.

For now – enjoy the music – and make some of your own.

Cheers.