Week9.2(5.3Fri)Free-culture movement

 1. Summary

The free-culture movement champions the freedom to distribute and modify creative works without restrictions from copyright laws. It emerged from Stewart Brand's advocacy for technology as liberating in the late 1960s and gained momentum with Lawrence Lessig's challenge against the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act in 1998. Lessig founded Creative Commons in 2001, providing alternative licensing to balance public access and creator rights.The movement's principles align with those of the free and open-source software movement, advocating for open access, remix culture, hacker culture, access to knowledge, copyleft, and public domain advocacy. It gained recognition during the World Summit on Information Society in 2003 and furthered through Lessig's book "Free Culture."Collaborative efforts led to the establishment of the "Definition of Free Cultural Works" in 2005/2006, setting standards for freedom in creative works. Creative Commons licenses like CC BY, CC BY-SA, and CC0 were endorsed for free cultural works, promoting open distribution and collaboration while discouraging restrictions on commercial use or derivative works. Organizations such as Creative Commons, QuestionCopyright.org, and Students for Free Culture advocate for the movement's principles, promoting sharing, innovation, and cultural vibrance. While initially supported by Richard Stallman, concerns over certain Creative Commons licenses led to withdrawal, though some support was restored later. The free music movement, a subset of the free-culture movement, emerged alongside the internet's rise, promoting unrestricted copying and distribution of music and exploring new revenue models for musicians in the digital era.

2. Project

  Richard Stallman initially expressed skepticism towards the extension of the principles of free software to other creative works, such as manuals, books, and hardware designs. He argued that not all works necessitated freedom for modification and saw no social imperative for free hardware designs. However, Stallman's stance evolved over time, eventually advocating for the free sharing of information and supporting the idea that practical works should be free, while works of art or entertainment should have limited copyright terms. Criticism of the free-culture movement also comes from copyright proponents, including technologist Jaron Lanier and author Andrew Keen. Lanier raised concerns about the depersonalization of crowd-sourced media and the impact on middle-class creative artists, while Keen labeled Lawrence Lessig as an "intellectual property communist." Additionally, some attribute the decline of the news media industry to free culture, although scholars like Clay Shirky argue that market dynamics play a more significant role. The free art movement, distinct from the free culture movement, involves artists leaving their work in public places for people to take and keep. This movement, characterized by initiatives like "Free Art Fridays," encourages public interaction with art and often utilizes social media for location clues, blending treasure hunting with art appreciation.

3. Question

How has the evolution of Richard Stallman's views on the extension of free software principles to other creative works influenced the trajectory of the free-culture movement, and what implications does it hold for the broader discourse on intellectual property rights?