NMA 2050: Nansi Matua

RiP: A Remix Manifesto broke down the issues with current copyright law in a way that revealed the harm it has inflicted on today’s content creators and consumers. I always knew that there were stringent rules and regulations when it came to intellectual property but the severity of the negative impact it has was brought to light in this film. The way past music has influenced artists such as Muddy Waters shows how copyright laws hinder creativity in the music industry. Although Muddy Waters is attributed to having created what we now know as blues music, even he was influenced by the past. That is why it is so important to have access to the past in order to create a future.

This movie changed my view on what intellectual property is and how over labeling things as intellectual property is oppressive to evolution. This was especially apparent in the bio-medical engineering field. I was shocked to learn how difficult it is to get around patents for medical information even when engineers are trying to solve urgent medical problems. Without these patents the medical field would be much more advanced and be able to save countless lives. This is a serious issue that should not be controlled by big business patents.

The criminalization of people who were using Napster was a part of history that proves that the legal system was only interested in appeasing the massive companies that own a majority of the entertainment industry. When Girl Talk’s process of creating his mash ups was shown, it gave me an inside look at the creative effort it takes to make remixes. Although other artists musics clips are being used, Girl Talk is completely using his own  creative sensibilities and technical knowledge to create a new track. Remixes are art and art should be something that we can all create and build upon without legal limits.

The free flow of information is crucial in creating a collaborative society whose combined work contributes to innovation and advances.  What countries such as Brazil are allowing for when they encourage sharing is a sense of community and the betterment of the lives of their citizens. By distributing AIDS medication to their people without regards to international trade laws with the US, Brazil realizes the importance of putting well-being above harmful laws and the emphasis on profit. Their culture is being dictated by their people as opposed to corporations, remixing music from around the world to create their own culture.

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