Remix Creative Writings Examples

Although the remix culture enriches creativity through crafting different ways of expression in today’s media, the policies across society must be up-to-date with the newfound global and modern culture in order to appropriately regulate its activities while still upholding concerning laws protecting rights such as the copyright law.

What to do with remix culture

The digital age brought us media that are capable beyond convergence such as the YouTube. This is the age where anyone can be a content creator as opposed to authorities and institutions solely dictating contents. Content creation does not necessarily mean building something from ground up. Nowadays, the original creators in the likes of professional artists post their work on YouTube. When people like it enough for whatever reasons, they rip it, remix it, and produce something else. These people in a sense have become creators themselves. Particularly, they are called the amateur creators who came from being passive content receptors to being active content creators.Indeed, we are in the so-called remix culture. As years pass, technologies in line with the culture also progress. The Internet a few years ago could only be accessed through desktop computers. Now, we are connected right through our fingertips. Smartphones do not only function as phones but also content creating devices. With this, we are capable more than ever in remixing current knowledge generating different aspect of creativity(O'Brien & Fitzgerald, 2006; Fagerjord, 2010).
This creativity, however, is also facing different aspect of challenge. The issue that the remix culture is bringing into the society is its threat to copyright laws. A YouTube content creator Sophie Madeleine, for example, remixed US international artist Katy Perry’s hit single Fireworks. Many like it and bought it. This was likely remix such as that of Sophie’s was created.It was an effect of its likability and popularity. Sophie’s remix became popular as well. Unfortunately, this is where lines blur as the exclusive rights of the original owner becomes uncertain. Katy Perry released the song for commercial distribution. She lives off through the song’s licenses in copies and performances. With the emergence of remix, Katy Perry or other professional artist in this case are at risk of being rubbed off of their rights. The question is on the content creator’s degree of seamlessly borrowing from the originalwork(O'Brien & Fitzgerald, 2006; Lessig, 2012).As discussed, the remix culture produces different aspect of creativity. It is to be taken as a productive societal development. It is important to note that the issue it brings is a challenge. It means that it merely needs to be settled or reconciled, rather. In this regard, authorities either prevent the capacity to see contents and technically reuse them or change to accommodate the culture.

Lessig on remix

The scholar and political activist Larry Lessig rendered a speech through TED on this issue. He was precisely proposing what is to be done with the newfound culture.Lessig pointed out the beauty of the remix culture calling it a read/write culture as opposed to read-only culture.Yet, the threat it brings on copyright law was established. He stated it was economically necessary. Thus, his points for regulation aimed to satisfy both the professional and amateur creators.Lessig’s main point was distinguishing professionals and amateurs. The law then has to encourage both allowing incentive for professionals and freedom for amateurs.
Furthermore, it meant that remix would have to be distinguished from piracy. Lessig found it unjust to take anyone’s content and distributing without the owner’s permission. That was how he determined piracy. He even pertained those practicing it as terrorist. Remix as opposed to piracy also take from anyone’s content. Yet, the significant difference was its call for recreation through digital technology in order to express differently.Moreover, Lessig stated that borrowers simply have to recognize and ask the owner’s permission. The pattern here was the renewed channel to democracy fitting to a free society. Societies are not necessarily free of conflict. In fact, it is far from it.In Marshall McLuhan’s technological determinism theory, it supposes that each technology brings about war. Nonetheless, technology as medium shapes people and their behavior towards expression, contents, or message (Lessig, 2012; Griffin, 2012).
Lessig was persuasive in a sense that he was purposeful and sensible in his proposal. He acknowledged that whether professional or amateur, everyone basically has a say in things and has the right to do so. It was as if he was negotiating a balanced win-win situation where both parties would be persuaded to work on such agreement. Most importantly, he was rousing a new response for such new culture. The existing laws are laws that survived the past. Thus, the new ways are likely excluded from these regulations. This is what he was pertaining about the law as a suppressing force that needs to be changed.

Conclusion

The remix culture paved way to a new aspect of creative expression. This is brought about by the age and technological progression. Its implication set concerns especially on copyright law. In order to settle the challenge it brings, a call for new policies for such new culture was asserted.Lessig on the forefront persuasively proposes distinction between professional and amateur creators. From here, the new policies must encourage both through providing incentives for professionals and allowing freedom for amateurs. He also drew line between remix and piracy. One recreates from the original while the latter simply takes.

References

Fagerjord, A. (2010). After convergence: Youtube and remix culture. In J. Hunsinger, et al. (Ed.),International Handbook of Internet Research.Doi: 10.1007/978-1-4020-9789- 8_11
Griffin, E.M. (2012) A First Look at Communication Theory.(8th Ed.). New York: McGraw- Hill.
Lessig, L. (2012). Remix: How creativity is being strangled by the law. In M. Mandiberg (Ed.), The Social Media Reader. New York: New York University Press.
O'Brien, D., & Fitzgerald, B. (2006). Mashups, remixes and copyright law. Internet Law Bulletin, 9(2), pp. 17-19.