copyright sign made of jigsaw puzzle pieces by Horia Varlan

Re: Film Copyright Laws

We get some wonderful questions from our amazingly talented students: I need some help. My CBR Project, Phase I, will be underway quickly; it involves my students composing music and putting it to a silent film. However, I know that most silent films are black and white and they are fairly old. However, I don’t …

(FILES) People walk past Shepard Fairey'

Obama Hope Poster For Sale or “Shephard Fairey: Oops”

  Another day, another Fair Use issue in the headlines. Imagine my surprise as I began to do research to update my previous article on the Fair-Use/Copyright kerfuffle between the Associated Press (AP) and street-artist/icon-wanna-be Shephard Fairey, to discover that the case was dismissed yesterday, January 11th, 2011, and that the two parties had entered …

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Save the Prize – Cha-Ching Version

Part of my class at Full Sail University involves issues of Copyright, Fair Use and Creative Commons. One of the videos I share is about the difficulty a particular video documentarian is having securing the rights so that he can share his documentary “Eyes on the Prize” The video prompted the following video response by …

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Convergence Culture: The Power of Media in the Hands of Users

Jenkin’s “Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide” is part of my course reading and students are always finding great videos of Jenkins on the Interwebs. Here’s a great one that sums it his take on the evolution of media and what it means for the culture and the media industry. Thanks Seann G.

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The Creative Commons Solution

Part three of my three part media merry-go-round: Creative Commons (Part 1: Copyright; Part 2: Fair-Use; Part 3: Creative Commons). After I’ve scared them to death with the all powerful Copyright, and confused them with the slippery Fair-Use, it’s time calm the nerves with a little common sense Creative Commons. I wish it was really …

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Obama “Hope” Image vs. One Lost Shephard

Another day, another Fair Use issue in the headlines. After working with my graduate students over the past six months I’m left with the feeling that most of them approach the subject of copyright as something that the big media companies hold over their heads, preventing them from using the music that they want in …