Reflections of the Gruber: May 2012

Thursday, May 31, 2012

WK 1 - Leadership Project Post - To Publish or Not to Publish

To Publish or Not to Publish

First, I must say that as I near the end of the EMDT Program, I become more anxious about what is next. The decisions we make today, I feel impact my future work and research. With this in mind, I try to make a decision that will impact my future professional reputation as a technology in the classroom innovator/educator.

I understand that we are to select the path that will let our work shine. However, my initial thought is that if you select a conference, less people will be witness to any errors I may make. Publishing is forever. On the other side of the coin, I write much better than I present. I know it is ironic, granted that I am a teacher. I teach children. When I present to my peers, I become more anxious.

In the words of a modern-day poet, Marilyn Manson, “A lot of people don't want to make their own decisions. They're too scared. It's much easier to be told what to do.” Today, I choose, not to be scared. I worked hard. I have something to say. And I will publish.

A lot of the Ed Journals seem interesting, or perhaps something in the English field… Stay tuned for next week’s decision…. Can I choose two?

Sources: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marilynman192756.html

Flikr Commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/steven_ng/5298884683/

Wk 1 - Response to Valencia Winston

Valencia,

I agree with your thoughts on history and the illustration of ridiculousness that you have outlined. Not only ancient history, but even modern history is affected. How many references, direct or indirect, do we make on a daily basis about what has come before us. “A rose, by any other name”, “May the Force be with you”, “Where’s the beef?”… Even, “Happy Birthday”. Remixing is nothing new. The invention of the wheel has led to the car. The writings of old, have led to countless blockbuster films. Disney is well known for taking public domain, remixing it with “Disney magic” and re-releasing it to new generations. However, they copyright the final outcome.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shakespeare.jpg

It is in our nature to take what is in our surroundings, remix it with our own perspective and use it as ours. Yes, generations will be affected. I am hoping that they will be pioneers in a new era, where these battles of cultural intellect are obsolete.

Original Post: MAC Week 1 Reading

I really enjoyed this week’s reading assignment, because I love the intricate business side of the entertainment industry. I found it so interesting that laws that were meant to protect an artist from others making money from their work, has a flip side that constricts artists from creatively producing work. May favorite videos dealt with the ways other countries view copyright. Brazilian and Nigerian artists are not engrossed in the moneymaking elements of entertainment, as much as they are interested in purely entertaining. What was illustrated was that the corporate world in America, which is the driving force behind the copyright laws, are consumed by this “bottom line” kind of thinking, and milking every possible penny out of consumers. This kind of greed-based mentality shows up throughout America’s financial institutions, and results in the rot that drives piracy and theft. The best example of this was the Bridgeport V Dimension Film/Music case against Hip Hop recording artists De La Soul. While Jane Peterer was right that the sample had been used, the sample was not used in the same way as the original artist created it. In my opinion, this made the song “Me, Myself and I” a new creation. The same is true for NWA’s “One Hundred Miles and Running.” Moreover, the original artist Parliament and Funkadelic, was not even quoted in the story.

When considering these laws, in the realm of education, it becomes even more ridiculous. Every generation is taught the world around them. Imagine if ancient pyramid inscriptions, drawings, and statues were copyrighted. How many centuries of learners would have been deprived of learning and interpreting the meanings of the artwork? I believe that this example illustrates how ridiculous these laws are. If copyright laws had existed in the past for 100 years + 70, how many generations before us would have been neglected? I look forward to more study on these issues.

http://valencia-winston.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-05-31T06:29:00-07:00&max-results=7

WK 1 - Response to Debbie Patsel

Debbie,

I too found that short little history clip very disturbing. I also checked my film archives. However, this just adds to the questions that still remain. Even if you pay $400.00 for a DVD and we dare to share this DVD with our classroom audience, are we violating copyright law? As I understand it, under Fair Use, you might be able to get away with clips and only if your lesson could be taught no other way. If all these criteria fit, then you need to go through the “process” to determine Fair Use.

Throughout my many years teaching, I have always used film and music in the classroom. I have a large collection of which I thought I could choose from. I purchased them, I can teach with them. Is that not true of novels? Why not films? The area remains very grey… Which leads me to believe the ground is fertile ground for litigation… (Dum, Dum Dum)…. Oops… Is that copyrighted?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/about/fd.html

Original Posting:

MAC: Week 1, Reading: Copyright Issues, The Fog Clears

I am excited about this class and glad that we are covering copyright in depth. We have hit on this topic briefly in the program, but it was never truly defined resulting in mixed results with my cohorts’ projects. I have just tried to keep it simple and I limited myself with Microsoft Office clip art because that usage seemed clear to me. Having watched the videos, the fog has cleared and I have a much better grasp of the entire copyright issue.

What I find most interesting and potentially frightful is the cultural impact that Copyright and Fair Use might have on society. I was concerned and upset about the explanation of the use of the Martin Luther King Jr. documentary, “Eyes on the Prize”; that it has been prohibited to be shown or preserved because of copyright laws and some people want to make a profit off of it. I agree with the commentators that this eventually comes down to censorship of history by making it private property. Individuals that want to make a profit cannot bind history, the greater good and evolution of a society depends on freedom of expression and the writing of histories’ stories. I am glad that there are groups that are fighting to preserve the rights of people to express themselves and make documentaries, thus improving our democracy.

I went to YouTube and found out that the clip we watched is old and it is on DVD and has been aired on PBS. I know that I have two of the DVD’s that are pictured in the film. I also went to Amazon, but the price is about $400.00 for the DVD. The film is available, but still out of reach. The debate continues and people persevere fighting the fights for making history accessible.

Sources: Microsoft Office Clip Art, MP900427695jpg: Eyes on the Fair Use of the Prize, YouTube, Uploaded by mediathatmatters on May 4, 2007

Posted by technoclown (aka) Debra Patsel at 11:35 AM

http://technoclown.blogspot.com/2012/05/week-1-reading-copyright-issues-fog.html?showComment=1338525323723#c2764650831275035368

Wk 1 - Reading Blog - Copyright Issues

So, as we well know… Copyright law, media history, and file sharing are some of my favorite topics. I finally finished all of my required “readings” and am ready to respond. First, I find it interesting that some of my all time favorites are not included. I have embedded them below for your personal viewing. However, I did find little interesting jewels to reflect upon in the new stuff.

The Pirate Bay - Official Logo

I appreciated the differentiating between Intellectual property, Patent Law, Copyright law and Trademark. It was an area that I was unaware of. Secondly, I found it interesting that the next “battleground” is in the Re-mix. Really? I find that not nearly important as File Sharing in the war of intellectual property. As seen in Good Copy, Bad Copy, many countries readily accept sampling, remixing, and even blatant film piracy, yet they have managed to change the business models to still make money.

A very interesting example was the Brazilian Techno Brega. The model was an exactly flip from our system. In Brazil, concerts are the main moneymaker and CDs are simply an advertisement. In the US, concerts are used to promote the CDS.

The example of the Pixie’s and Techno Brega concerts being recorded live and sold upon leaving the concert. I have been in the movie industry for years and this is exactly what I proposed for the film industry. Sell the DVD at the movie theatre. I was told that no one would want to buy the movie they just saw for full price… I beg to differ. I feel it is the perfect time. The audience is hyped and wants a permanent memory to take home. Brazil is making it happen

I also found it interesting that Weird Al Yankovic’s music video footage, “Don’t Download this Song” was used in the film. However, it was not credited.

PART 2 – Fair Use

There was some interesting information about Creative Commons. My favorite quote was, “People like to pay the artists. People don’t like paying corporations.”

All in all, I was left with a few questions…

As far as Full Sail’s EMDT Program:

What about past activities that I may have already violated copyright law?

I thought Fair Use covered me and now I realize that Fair Use is a process…. That I didn’t go through. Poor Dr. Reo must be cringing at my Storm trooper comic.

Regarding Piracy in General:

Question One: If the content can’t be bought, is it fair game to share?

Example: The Eyes on the Prize Documentary and others shown in the clip.

Question Two: If an American film is uploaded somewhere in the world, the link is shared by Sweden, is downloaded by someone in Mexico, and sold to an American tourist… Who is the criminal?

Question Three: If I post a link to stolen material, am I guilty? (See Below)

Question Four: Who is anonymous? Really...

I leave you with some additional resources and a quote from Dan Glickman from the MPAA. “We will never stop piracy – We just need to make it very difficult.”