Week1_Reading_Fair Use and Creative Commons

Ciao! Now here's something new from Ann Cannizzaro.
Fair Use...Can you use it or not?
Getting acquainted with Fair Use is not an easy task.  I'm sorry to say that the Obama Poster Event was not on my radar at all.  Shepard Fairey is somewhat of an activist in using his art work to make political statements regarding fair use.  I am most thankful for the awareness this reading/viewing has brought to me.    The topic of fair use is so timely in our "easy access" environment.  Yet, it is a rare topic of investigation or discussion in the day to day life of a regular "Joe" on the street.
Artists have always been important figures of inspiration, vision, and change.  Often they take risks that go beyond what others would consider safe, and the result is a new way of thinking, doing, and understanding.  I think Shepard Fairey falls into this category.  Of course there is the question about attributing the original photograph to Manny Garcia.  However, one side of the story says the original "owner" was AP, until Manny Garcia stepped forward and dropped his name into the "picture".

There is still much for me to learn and understand about Fair Use.  I am very glad to learn of the standards documents created by The Center for Social Media.  These documents will be my starting point for gaining further knowledge and experience with Fair use issues.  I would also recommend another resource for educators and parents.  Please consider going to view materials at www.commonsensemedia.org.  This site has a wealth of information about Media, Netiquette, and a teaching unit about Copyright for high school students.
Educate yourself and others!

Creative Commons....Creativity for All
Larry Lessig ends his TED talk with the idea that we are living in an age of prohibitions in terms of digital technologies.  He makes an alarming point that we are "living life against the law".   If we are not, then our kids ARE!
  "They are living life against the law and they know they live it against the law."
Hmmm...I couldn't get that statement out of my head and after a while, it dawned on me...the statement is true.  Here's the example that looked me in the eye later after I'd watched the TED talk:
     "Dear Mom, Please don't get mad at me.  I just got a Facebook.  I know I should have asked you first      but I'm getting older and can make some decisions by myself."  This arrived in my email...from my 13 year old daughter!  YES!  And it hit me then.  Our kids are living life illegally and they know it.  It is illegal for any kid to have a Facebook page if they are under 18yrs old.  But everyone, it seems, has one. The kids know the rules but they look them in the "Face" and reject them.  It is just as Lessig describes.  What are we to do?  Do we have or support a democracy that can do better?  I Wish! [I just did some research and found that what I said above is not true and was an assumption.  Facebook asks that no one under 13 years of age sign up.  I'm learning to do the research to back up my statements.  Thanks for bearing with me.]

Okay, back to creativity.  I love the idea of creative commons and it does go the distance to maintain open dialogue between the big business of digital technologies and the content creators, our kids.  However, we need to demand a robust conversation that is balanced and heard.  We need to be the democracy that can make it happen.