First off, I would like to preface by stating that I believe copyright laws today are too strict. Sure, they are supposed to prevent one artist from stealing from another, but at some point a line was crossed. It seems that nowadays, all you hear about copyrights pertains to artists suing others for using their work in some way, or just people trying to generate some type of additional revenue off of their work.
Copyrights are everywhere in today’s society.
Now take a moment to imagine a world in which every work (music, movies, artwork, etc.) was placed into public domain by default. Public domain, as defined by Wikipedia, “consists of works that are publicly available; while according to the formal definition, it consists of works that are unavailable for private ownership or are available for public use.” In this scenario, all of these works are essentially created for the greater good and enjoyment of mankind, not for profiteering. Instead, we seem to be living in a world of loopholes and lawsuits.
I can remember back to my elementary school days, making a multimedia project in computer class. Our teacher told us to find a piece of music to use. She was sure to mention that we were allowed to use no more than 30 seconds of a song at a time because of copyright laws. This concept seemed so strange to me at the time. I loved music, I played music. I viewed it as something we all make to share for the joy of others to listen to. I was surprised that day to learn that if I was to use 31 seconds of a clip, I would be performing an illegal act. I would be breaking the law! Looking back on the situation as an adult, I can obviously understand the legal situation more clearly, but as a child, I simply could not understand how one extra second would make my video presentation illegal. Of course, I conformed to my teachers wishes despite the amusing prospect of going to court against Barry Manilow and the ghost of Frank Sinatra.
More recently in the news, there are still many struggles (on the music front). Believe it or not, the song “Happy Birthday” has lead to a lawsuit. An article in the New York Times explains how the original tune can be found in a 1924 songbook with the title “Good Morning To All”. As a classic song, a Manhattan filmmaker assumed the piece fell under public domain before using the song for a scene in the movie. She was surprised to receive a $1500 licensing agreement from the Warner Music Group, who owned the rights to the song. The article goes on to explain that the company makes close to 2 million dollars each year from simply owning the rights to the song. A quick YouTube search for happy birthday yields hundreds of thousands of results! It is truly sad to think that people are making money off a song a song that every two-year-old has sung form memory. A lawsuit was filed requesting that the tune be placed in public domain. It will definitely be interesting to hear the results in the near future!
Children singing Happy Birthday
In conclusion, although there are good reasons that copyright laws exist in the world today,they have proven in some cases to be a necessary evil. With new songs being produced every day, we are surrounded by copyrights and should not expect them to go away any time soon.
I agree with you Tyler. I think that it is absurd that the song Happy Birthday is used as a tool for profit, rather than the innocent motive of wishing the birthday person a good time. It makes me think of the motives of why we create things. Do we do it for the love of the game, or are we in it for selfish gain. I think giving credit where it is due is not limited to compensation, but it also consists of the recognition from others. When people recognize and commend you for your work, they can also be inspired to create and innovate from your own influence.