July 04, 2009
UTNE READER

Sonny Bono Is Dead

Music label leads protest of eternal copyright

November 6, 2003
Joel Stonington Utne.com 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

Illegal Art, a digital and sampled music label, is asking artists to submit new works liberally sampling from music that would be part of the public domain by 2004 if the 1998 Sonny Bono Act -- extending copyrights for a 20-year period -- had not been passed.

RELATED CONTENT

Corporations, especially the Walt Disney Company, have enormous vested interest in extending copyrights on icons such as Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse, just as other companies want to continue holding monopolies on well-known and much-loved books and music. In a particularly focused attack against corporate interests, Illegal Art specifically call for 'appropriations of the Mickey Mouse character' as well as new works made by sampling Sonny Bono's output during his pop star years, saying, Hey, I've got you babe.

The Sonny Bono Act, upheld by the Supreme Court earlier this year, retroactively extended copyrights to the life of the author plus 70 years for individual works and a flat 95 years in cases of corporate authorship and works published before 1978. Lawrence Lessig, a Stanford law professor who argued against the Sonny Bono Act at the Supreme Court, told Wired magazine's Steven Levy that the law makes it so 'no one can do to Disney as Disney did to the Brothers Grimm.' Lessig argued that the goal of the constitution, to 'promote the progress of science and useful arts' by giving individuals the fruits of their labors, is undermined by corporate desire for profits.

But, as the Illegal Art web site argues, 'Copyright law continues to expand and defeat its original purpose of promoting advances in the arts and sciences.' Thus, Illegal Art seeks to revitalize the public domain through constructive civil disobedience.
-- Joel Stonington

Go there>>Sonny Bono is Dead

Related Links:

Related Links from the Utne Archive:

Caf? Utne: Discuss the Sonny Bono Act and the abuse of copyrights in the Media forum

Comments? Story tips? Write a letter to the editor

Like this? Want more?Subscribe to Utne magazine

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

We’d like to know what you think. To comment, please use this form. E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments. First time registrants: You will receive an email confirming your email address. Once you confirm, your comment will be posted. Questions about our comments policy? Click here.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Utne Reader?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
(Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.


Pay Now & Save $7.97!
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
 

 

Want to gain a fresh perspective? Read stories that matter? Feel optimistic about the future? It's all here! Utne Reader offers provocative writing from diverse perspectives, insightful analysis of art and media, down-to-earth news and in-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $7.97 and get 6 issues of Utne Reader for only $12.00 (USA only).

Or Bill Me Later and pay just $19.97 for 6 issues of Utne Reader!