From Shakespeare to Dj Danger Mouse: A Quick Look at Copyright and User Creativity in the Digital Age

19 Pages Posted: 19 Jun 2006

See all articles by Urs Gasser

Urs Gasser

Harvard University - Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society

Silke Ernst

University of St. Gallen - Department of Law and Research Center for Information Law (FIR-HSG)

Abstract

The Internet has changed the ways in which we create, disseminate, access, and re-use information, knowledge, and entertainment. In many respects, digital media has enabled us to become more creative and interactive, to write and publish our own stories without owning a printing press (weblogs), to broadcast our own radio shows without requiring access to a broadcast studio (podcasts), to make and distribute songs or video clips without depending on recording studios or big Hollywood. In this short essay, we first provide several examples to demonstrate that the law - especially copyright law - has not kept pace with the unfolding creative revolution of cyberspace. We then argue that the law should strike a new balance between the divergent interests of various stakeholders in order to foster participatory culture. Finally, we outline some approaches and proposals that might contribute to such an endeavor.

Keywords: Participatory culture, semiotic democracy, copyright law

JEL Classification: D230, L820, K420

Suggested Citation

Gasser, Urs and Ernst, Silke, From Shakespeare to Dj Danger Mouse: A Quick Look at Copyright and User Creativity in the Digital Age. Berkman Center Research Publication No. 2006-05, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=909223

Urs Gasser (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society ( email )

Harvard Law School
23 Everett, 2nd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

HOME PAGE: https://cyber.harvard.edu/people/ugasser

Silke Ernst

University of St. Gallen - Department of Law and Research Center for Information Law (FIR-HSG) ( email )

Varnbuelstr. 14
Saint Gallen, St. Gallen CH-9000
Switzerland

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