Anti-Copyright

The idea of Anti-Copyright has been voiced by [Donal McGraith] in his article Anti-Copyright and Cassette

Culture. Essential he delivers a scathing critique of the idea that copyright protects the rights and work, of artists. His point of view has been taken up by the recent copyleft ([http://www.dict.org/bin/Dict?Form=3DDict2&Database=3D*&Query=

=3Dcopyleft|definition]) and electronic freedom movements. These movements were =

focused toward software and intellectual property, rather than media such =

as sound. But thet are now focus toward media, published works and =

intellectual property in general. As pointed out by Brian Eno software =

and canned works are converging.

Anti-Copyright has matured to copyleft; in that copyleft poses a strategic =

viral alternative --- that of using copyright to eat itself. Copyleft =

encodes the freedom of access to works by means of a copyright law itself. =

The encoding called the 'General Public License' =

([http://www.dict.org/bin/Dict?Form=3DDict2&Database=3D*&Query=

=3DGeneral+Public+License]|definition]) is a license given to anyone to use, =

redistribute and rework a work with only, two conditions: one that the =

derived works or copy also grant this exact same license, and two that a =

full authorgraphic record is maintained back to the first copyright holder.

What makes McGaiths critique interesting is it's broader application to =

creative processes in general and his thorough analysis of the ideas of =

authenticity and originality. Using Picasso as a reference point, he maps =

the Situationist concept of 'detournement' onto the cassette swapping =

underground, thus showing how in general old aesthetics can be co-opted =

into new work.