I really actually enjoyed this documentary. I honestly thought at first that it was going to be some whiny, counter-culture thing, but the film turned out to make very important points. Media nowadays is an industry, everything that is famous or iconic is owned by a large corporation. And in our modern day and age, such corporations seek to pervert and restrain the creativity that has gone on for centuries. We build on the past, nothing just comes out of nowhere. Through creativity, we take what we know and make something completely new by adding our own take on it. It’s how it’s been for centuries.

I understand what copyright is. It isn’t all bad and it shouldn’t be something we seek to destroy. It is to protect the intellectual property of someone from someone else who seeks to profit on what they made. Although, that is blatant copying. Taking something and changing it to be something in your style, isn’t a violation of copyright. It is the creation of something new.

As as an artist myself, I would hate it if someone took what I had made, and claim it as their own, or sharing it without a source. This is what hurts an artist. But someone taking something you made, and adding their own little spin to it is something different. It’s as if someone is paying homage to your work and creating something new.

I really enjoyed the in depth look at how corporations have diluted the creative industry. Being in a business university, you’d think that we should take the side of business. But where should the reach of a corporation end? When do they go too far? The mentioning of so many different laws that seek to restrict and restrain creativity and innovation is troubling to me. That there is a lack of competition, and there is simply a few big companies that control all.

The documentary was pretty personal as well. The amount of times that I have found my favorite videos on YouTube that have copyright strikes on them is appalling. Even when the music is sourced and proper credentials are given, it can all be taken away.

The segment on how Brazil is leading the world in innovative and creative freedom surprised me. In a country plagued by corruption and poverty, they manage to get something right. It shows that our own great country, which has its own positive aspects, can have parts that aren’t too great.

This documentary also reminded me of a previous documentary that I had seen a few years ago. I think it was called “Everything’s a Remix”, and it shockingly showed how much of mainstream music builds upon music from the past, all without mentioning the song they took from. Along with this documentary, they bring up good points: everything is built upon the past. There needs to be a foundation that one can build something new from. And if such an ability is restricted, then we are stuck doing the same things over and over, with no progress. But like the documentary showed, even though laws and rules are enacted to stop it, it will always find a way to progress, regardless of what anyone says.