Week #1 Comment #1 to Jim Farmer

Jim Farmer’s Blog:  

The Knowledge Farmer

First off... Congratulations on your daughter’s graduation.  It is such a proud moment we share with our children—kudos to you and your family.   I also like the design of your blog—nice style.

The readings this week on copyright issues was interesting and powerfully stated. I agree with you about businesses who sue are impacted negatively; it is not a way to paint a positive picture about themselves in the public eye.  Your point about the Grateful Dead allowing and even accommodating their audiences to record in order to share their music was a perfect example about how many musicians have embraced sharing.  The times are changing and allowing options like what the Null Corp. has done will be something others embrace, as a way to share and still promote their art.

Jim Farmer’s Blog entry:  The Knowledge Farmer

I was really intrigued by the documentary when they spoke about the Brazilian, Nigerian, and Swedish laws and how they were almost trendsetters. Laurence Lessig and many of the other interviewees spoke very well about the need to adapt our current laws to the new technologies that so many people have access to. We are no longer protecting printed materials that were produced on a printing press. Everyone has the capability to be a producer and I think this is a fundamental change in all societies and how they handle copyright laws. Many of these laws, were conceived before the ease of file sharing and collaborating became the norm for many. I think the point that Mr. Lessig made about being more open with sharing would increase the revenue for many artists that do not see a dime from their works being distributed was right on target.

The idea that suing your customer base to keep pirates at bay (pun intended) is ridiculous. Sending someone to jail and fining them tens of thousands of dollars is not a way to endear yourself to the public that you want as paying customers. There are lots of examples of artists trying new methods and being quite successful. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails started his own record label, The Null Corporation, in which he released his album as a free download with options for purchasing extras. The Grateful Dead toured for decades and encouraged recording and sharing of their music. There are many examples of musicians that have done well in the new economy of the information age. 

I am not arguing for pirating and the blatant disrespect for others hard work, but I do feel that times have changed and we must adapt to the new methods of distribution and sharing or we will stifle the artistic possibilities that these new technologies afford us. Just as education is dealing with how to handle smart phones, tablets, and mp3 players  that have more computing power than the Apollo spacecraft, so to must society adjust to this new world.

P.S. I am not a Nine Inch Nails fan, just a fan of Trent Reznor's willingness to try something different and put his fans first.