{"id":61,"date":"2023-12-19T22:45:04","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T22:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/writingfordigitalmedia\/?post_type=chapter&p=61"},"modified":"2024-02-03T18:04:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T18:04:00","slug":"remix-culture-and-copyright","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.palni.org\/writingfordigitalmedia\/chapter\/remix-culture-and-copyright\/","title":{"raw":"Remix Culture and Copyright","rendered":"Remix Culture and Copyright"},"content":{"raw":"

At the time of this writing, ChatGPT<\/span><\/a><\/span> is quickly emerging as a sophisticated AI that can compose complex, seemingly \u201coriginal\u201d texts and can craft a text to follow the specifics of many types of prompts (Open AI). It can write computer code, short stories, academic essays, songs, cover letters, emails, and much more. Ironically, not only can this new AI be used by students to write academic papers, it can also be used by teachers to grade essays and give detailed feedback, which would lead to a rather sad state of affairs in which nobody, not even writing teachers, is doing the intellectual and creative work of composing original texts. It\u2019s easy to see why so many people are concerned about the consequences of such technologies, which allow \u201cwriters\u201d to sidestep the cognitive, often emotional and intensely personal, process of putting thoughts and experiences into words\u2014the right<\/em><\/span> words. For many of us, it\u2019s a labor of love, and the satisfaction of producing a thought-provoking text that can engage the emotions and imagination of an audience is tied up in the inherent struggle of the writing process. It\u2019s much more than a reflection of ideas that are already fully formed and simply need to be translated into text. The writing process is generative<\/span><\/a><\/span>, where ideas and connections take shape that wouldn\u2019t have otherwise (Sayre). In other words, writing facilitates personal growth, critical thinking, and human connections that AI can\u2019t replicate\u2014and even if it could, where would that leave us? Much of the reason that copyright exists is to validate human expression and the unique ways that writers and artists go about putting their ideas into words and images.<\/p>\r\n

On the other hand, the word \u201coriginal\u201d when it comes to creative and academic writing is fairly misleading. Many discussions of the writing process begin with a stage called \u201cinvention<\/span><\/a><\/span>,\u201d where writers \u201cdiscover the ideas upon which their essays will focus\u201d (Vanderbilt University). However, many people argue that true invention is a myth, that people don\u2019t create new ideas and connections as much as they discover possibilities that existed all along but hadn\u2019t been recognized in quite that same way. Architect David Galbraith<\/span><\/a><\/span> says, \u201cWe can only select things that are possible, [sic<\/em><\/span>] invention is merely when the possible is new. Real invention, out of nowhere, not selecting from the possible, is impossible, by definition.\u201d Then there\u2019s the reality that in many instances, there aren\u2019t really new ideas as much as there are new ways of applying old ideas\u2014or different ways of combining seemingly disparate ideas to create something new. That\u2019s what a remix is. It restructures existing content, making selections and deselections from a variety of texts, to create something new and interesting. It\u2019s a lot like cooking. Chefs don\u2019t create brand new ingredients; they combine existing ingredients in different ways, sometimes making adjustments to existing cooking processes, in order to create something fresh and interesting. The whole idea behind \u201cfusion\u201d is that classic recipes from different cultures are combined to create new flavors and culinary experiences. The same is true for writers who combine and build upon existing words and ideas. If you really think about it, all of the seemingly \u201cnew\u201d ideas that people have emerge from somewhere\u2014something someone else says, a process or experience that triggers an \u201caha\u201d moment, an existing line of thought that can be retooled, the cultural nuances that influence your way of seeing and thinking about the world. It\u2019s impossible to trace those disparate strands that come together at the exact moment a \u201cnew\u201d thought enters your mind, but it didn\u2019t materialize from nothing. All writing (and thinking) is a remix. According to Everything <\/span>I<\/span>s a Remix<\/span><\/a><\/span>, \u201cWhen we create, we often seem alone, but we are in fact together\u201d (Ferguson), referring to the ways that ideas transcend time and space, always setting the stage for and guiding the choices of what comes next.<\/p>\r\n

As you can probably see, there are two opposing ideas at work in this chapter, complicating the very notion of what is an \u201coriginal\u201d work. Writers don\u2019t write in a vacuum. They are influenced by other artists, historical events, cultural contexts, and existing texts, and human progress depends on our ability to build on what came before. What\u2019s more, with the digital tools that are now so widely available, it\u2019s easier than ever before to create remixes\u2014mashups, edits, blends, and megamixes. While many amateur works of this nature exist that aren\u2019t particularly inspiring, there are also many digital remixes that are engaging, enjoyable, and thought-provoking, providing an outlet for the author\u2019s creativity and expression and adding to the collective repertoire of ideas from which we all benefit. However, copyright law is still a fundamental concept for all published works, serving to protect the artistic integrity and financial remuneration of the author. The purpose of copyright was to promote the development of new ideas by providing a mechanism of control and financial incentive for people who invest their time and expertise in scientific and creative works. According to the Copyright Alliance<\/span><\/a><\/span>, \u201cThe theory is that by granting certain exclusive rights to creators that allow these creators to protect their creative works against theft, creators receive the benefit of economic rewards and the public receives the benefit of the creative works that might not otherwise be created or disseminated.\u201d In many cases, copyright law creates a barrier for people to redistribute, remediate, remix, or revise someone else\u2019s work without their express permission, and now that there are so many digital tools that make those very practices so much easier, it\u2019s more important than ever to understand what the rules are.<\/p>\r\n

In this chapter, we\u2019ll discuss the history of remix culture and explore arguments made by Lawrence Lessig and others who see the inherent value in being able to remix. We\u2019ll also explore different examples of remix and the ways these examples have expanded in recent years with the development of new social media platforms. The second part of the chapter will look more closely at copyright law within the context of the digital age, providing key terms and guidelines about the rules as well as the consequences of breaking those rules.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

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