by zutgorak | Dec 16, 2010 |
So, I guess that you have noticed the changes that takes place on all the services that enables you to stream media from their sites. I am talking about Spotify, Youtube and similar services that used to be great, but is in the range of “OK” services.
Why has it lowered itself in my opinions? Well, censorship naturally.
How often havent you made a list on youtube that you liked with various clips and after a few days, this list has been totally cut asunder due to the fact that you live in a region where this clip is not allowed to be shown?
You would think that the exposure that the artist and companies gets via the Youtube movie might be worth something, after all, its free PR, but no, apparently we are to be controlled as to what we are allowed to see. On top of that, there are services that are not even dependant on uploading from users, such as spotify, where lists get thrown off just because this month, this tune is removed and so on and so forth. What the hell? After all, spotify is actually a legit service and in a large part RUN by the same record companies that owns the copyright to this particular song.
Now, I can understand some of it, as in if people upload entire episodes of TV shows, or entire movies, but
what the hell? Removing things for the sake of being able to? Isn’t that really just another form of abuse?
There is a fair use policy, and I can understand that part aswell, where you only use parts of a song or
stuff like that, but let me give you a very good example.
There is a pretty popular oriental kids show, probably japanese but I am not sure, called “Pythagoras Switch”
They made their own little hit with The logical march, you can google it if you wish, and a friend of mine, Physica
together with one of his friends, made a complete remix of the logical march into a techno thing, and uploaded
it to youtube. Basically the video was cut to shreds, audio transformed and the original credits was still intact
BUT it still got removed. Why? Because they could.
There needs to be a change in how copyright is upheld and how it is to be maintained and soon.
Pirate parties are springing up in several nations and that alone should tell the companies that
people are getting sick and tired of being run over for the sake of profit when it comes to creativity.
Just my thoughts.
by zutgorak | Jan 4, 2010 |
These days censoring things have become more and more 
common again for some reason and unfortunatly, the
reasons are none other then pure greed and monetary interrests.
Do you remember when democracy was a lead and a motto that
was to be followed and everyone was to have their say in the
proceedings in what went on and what was decided?
Well, when it comes to art, this is no longer true. Lets say that
I make a really cool video with pretty much whatever, it might
even be one of the best/funniest/saddest/whatever in the world
but the theme goes perfectly together with one of all these cookie
cutout artists songs that are so popular in the mainstream these days,
so I decide to use one of them as a background song for the video.
It fits perfectly and I decide to put the thing on youtube or whatever,
and voila, I get the sound removed from the movie or even get the
movie deleted because a record company or other owns the
copyright for this song. … but.. but.. I am not stealing your music,
I am using it yes, but I am not cutting into your monetary interrests
by using it as an audio backdrop, am I?
Now, I dont create that much music, and probably never will, I do however, as you can see
create digital art and if someone wants to us it for pretty much whatever, I am only happy to oblige
and my conditions are simple. 1. dont claim you made the image and 2. send me a link with the final
thing so I can watch in awe and admire your work and know that I had a part in it. Whats the harm in that?
I really cant see it.
Now, lets say that I am a well paid recording artist with a few dollars more then the blue collar guy
in my wallet, wouldn’t it be good of me to spread my work out a little and let users create using what I have
already created and hence maybe enlarging my fanbase and in the end open up possibilities for a bigger
revenue stream?
Unni Drougge released audio books on pirate bay without any intention of getting paid for it, since
“everyone knows that filesharing is stealing”, yet, someone urged her to set up a paypal account,
and guess what…. she got paid, and paid pretty much the same amount that a normal advancement on a
novel from a real publisher would have gotten her.
Hold the phone right here. Yeah, just stop and smell the greens. Pirates actually PAID to download her
audiobook from a place that is known to keep everything free. Now, something is twisted here.
Now, I dont presume to know how the big record, software and movie companies think, and I probably
never will get that insight seeing that I am who I am, but really, shouldn’t new ways of reaching potential
customers be welcomed? There will always be filesharing, theres been filesharing since the old days
when a few holes in a square piece of cardboard was all that was needed to create a working software copy,
and I very much doubt that a phenomenon so ingrained will be removed, more likely it will be pushed
underground and sadly, that will also open up for other, worse situations with other activities best
not mentioned.
So, I have previously made my standpoint clear in what I think, and I will keep it as a mantra and
repeat it over and over and over and over again. I DO belive that artists should get paid for their
efforts, but I also feel that there are a lot of things that needs to be changed, such as the time that they
have an exclusive right for looooooong after they have passed away…. sheesh. When it comes
to software there are also different models that might work, and I even left a suggestion earler,
if you want to browse it, you can find that HERE
Now, this whole post became a giant sidetrack in itself, I think I would be better off stopping here
so I will do just that and say the following: Clear your own yard before complaining about someone
elses.
