Open Source Cinema - An Open Source Documentary Film about Copyright

Hi! Thanks for the film! I really enjoyed it! You're bringing efficient material here to start the debate. Too bad the discution time at the end of the screening couldn't be much longer, this was the best part of the film ;-)

The point I like to make here is more a comment. You're bringing experienced culture to light. Today, when we talk about «culture», most of us think about consummation : listening to music, going to a concert or any other show, buying a DVD, watching a film, ect. Things we usually pay for and stay passive in front of. We too often forget how participating and experimenting culture is important to understand it and to make it evole. The creative side must remain open to everybody, and the restrictive © just see people as consumers and make us looking at ourselves in the same way.

Another point I find really interesting is that the film precisely experienced what's said inside. It probably seems so obvious that nobody mentioned it here, but taking part of the subject is a clever way to illustrate the purpose.

You're only talking about remix in the film. In the best law you can imagine, will files sharing only be allowed for remixers ? What about all the other P2P users that only wanna consumed ? And even if the copyright protection is reduced, let's dream to 10 years after the creation, if files sharing is allowed for a few uses, there will always be illegal downloading. So the idea to control what's shared and the DRM will always have a reason to exists. Do you only preach for remixers right to creativity ? Is a totally free sharing model fanciful in your opinion ?

Thanks to allow us to be the «beta public», but according to the purpose of the film, it will always be a beta version, no ?

Beautiful work anyway! On the execution as on the concept as well!
Noémie

Thanks for the movie.

I enjoyed the crisp graphic design, green-screen effects, and use of overlays.

Thought the most effective sequences were the comparisons: Disney vs. the past, Zeppelin / Stones ripping off the blues (in turn ripped off from the other blues artists.) Enjoyed the tasteful musical collage work during in, for example, the "Bittersweet Symphony" section (and its reappearance in Brazil),

A notable omission (in this cut at least) I thought was history of rap and hip-hop -- talk about re-contextualization of music. Well covered in other documentaries I suppose but, Biz Markee's trial might be worth a mention:

[ Snip from Wikipedia (fair use, I'm sure) -- Biz was served a lawsuit by Gilbert O'Sullivan, who claimed that the album's Alone Again featured an unauthorized sample from his hit Alone Again (Naturally). O'Sullivan's claim was upheld in a landmark ruling, Grand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records, Inc.,[2] that altered the landscape of hip-hop, finding that all samples must be cleared with the original artist before being used. ]

At least we saw Chuck D vs. Lars Ulrich (remember paylars.com?)

On the music front, the recent demise of OiNK.me.uk, the premier music torrent site, considered by many to be the full-grown offspring of Napster was a major event, and the lawsuit against its founder should be of interest.

For those who weren't members, here's a good essay about the demise of OiNK:
http://www.demonbaby.com/blog/2007/10/when-pigs-fly-death-of-oink-birth-...

RE: OiNK, What particularly interested me was the number of music artists who, after the site was shut down, "came out" as OiNK users, many of whom were using the site to promote their own music!

For a Swedish perspective, I'm sure you're aware of "Good Copy Bad Copy - a documentary about the current state of copyright and culture (2007)." The documentary is streamable on their site, and they released it to The Pirate Bay themselves in XviD format.

http://www.goodcopybadcopy.net/

Well done -- it's a massive topic you're covering, and I doubt you have anything to worry about future-proofing the distribution of your movie; in the Q and A you mentioned a key point: accreditation is really one of the new currencies, and you're gaining capital, so here's to more thought-provoking work in future!

RIP - to rip off, to make a digital copy of music (rip), or Rest.In.Peace. pre-file-sharing copyright views?

I really enjoyed the film and learned a lot from it.

Never the less, I believe the film should state the difference between fair and unfair use. If you use art to create more art, I believe that is fair use. If you download music and films because you don't want to buy the CDs or DVDs, I believe that is unfair use. The difference between the two is blurry all throughout the doc. Was this done on purpose and if so, why ?

I am in awe of the talent and dedication on everyone involved in this film.

Although there isn't room to cover every aspect of this huge issue in one film, I did notice there was no mention of what is happening in universities and libraries. People who work in these institutions are on the front lines of this battle. I am trained to provide people with access to information, but routinely in my own professional life I have to choose between violating laws to provide people with access to information, or following the laws and restricting that access even for educational use. Our universities can have virtual classes, but I cannot post a full text article for students to read. It just doesn't make sense!

Thanks again for all your hard work, I look forward to seeing new iterations of the film in the future!

i am curious as to why you didn't ask established musicians what they thought about copyright laws. musicians have to be protected, to an extent, and compensated for their original ideas so that they can make a living. when Girl Talk uses other artists material (most of the time) the product is so far removed from the original source that i wouldn't even call it sampling. however, when the samples are recognizable it IS sampling and the original artist should be compensated for that, unless they don't care.
documentaries that are one sided and only represent the opposing side as opportunistic fools concern me (as shown in the film with the metallica guy and the woman in the copyright office). it reminds me of michael moore documentaries which are more propaganda than fair.
i would respect the film if you hadn't demonized the opposing side and instead had represented both sides with intelligent representatives so that we could create a more informed opinion on the topic.

i don't think the solution to copyright laws is black and white, artist should be given appropriate credit for their work and people should have creative freedom. it's complicated.

other than that i thought the film was well done, exciting and thought provoking. it's a topic that a lot of people don't think about. i think this will be a nice canvas for you to expand your research on and explore the topic further. it's easy for the viewer to criticize your documentary but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to create a film like you did.

congratulations.

Hi, at first I want sincerely congratulate you guys about this movie. I were deeply touched for it. I think that it expresses the needs of the people that don't wanna stay in the matrix. It's an heroic step given for a free future, where humans can really develop consciousness without been limited by a system that was human made and now is trying to destroy us.
This is the kind of movie that shows you that there are many ways to go on, and we are wasting our humanity/nature/energy going by the way of materialism.

The things that I missed a little in the movie were if you can show other ways or possibilities to let the artists still doing art and paying the rent.
I think that if you are an artist, your aim is pass your message. Just that. As Girl Talk. But now it's difficult to feed the stomach and the soul at the same time. Internet donations are maybe one way?
We need to change the paradigm where as an artist the copyright is the only way to afford you sustenance. I think that this movie is a good help to continue with the revolution/evolution.
The other thing is, how is it when the remix is made by someone that doesen't understand the original recoriding, and the author is still living and doesn't like it?

As a movie, it is really well done I think. I hope it's gonna screen everywhere.
As the presenter said "we need to pass the message"

Love, good vibes and peace for every one
Best,

Alexandro