R.I.P. PicApp - We Told You So

Back in August of 2009, with great fanfare, PicScout announced PicApp, and we took a critical (and dim) view of it, as we wrote about here - Silly Rabbit - PicApp's Got Problems (8/19/2009). The concept was - free photos for your non-commercial blog/etc, and we'll intersperse some ads among or overtop of the images, and make money that way.

We said it was a bad design then, and, more importantly, we said it made no business sense then, and on their blog here (12/23/2010)

"...the demand was not sufficient to commercially justify this as our core business model, which is why we have decided to terminate the Picapp images search....".

Right. Because it was poorly designed, made no business sense, and was also likely competing with the sources of the images (Getty/et al), and they didn't like it either. Paul Melcher does a fine job of taking a critical look at PicApp here - so I won't rehash what he wrote, other than to say "we told you so."

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When Is Your Black Friday?

Most people don't know what the origin of "Black Friday" is. For those of you not in the know, the answer is - it is the date that most retailers go from being "in the red" to "in the black", that is, profitable. So, the money they make from Black Friday until the end of the year, is, essentially, their profit.

The question then becomes - do you know when you go into the black? Are all your assignments profitable? Should they be?

If you don't know your Cost of Doing Business, check out the NPPA's CODB calculator here, and work it out. If you learn that your overhead for a day's photography is $250, then taking that $200 photo assignment "because you don't have anything else to do that day" is a really bad idea.

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Photopreneur Speedlinks

It's often interesting and insightful to read what's happening over at Photopreneur. Here are links to a few articles worth checking out!

• You Could be a Professional Photographer When… -You’re not ready to become a professional until you also have these elements of professional knowledge figured out:
  
  

  1. You Know the Legal Stuff
  2. You Understand Licensing and Pricing
  3. You Have a Professional Attitude



• Photographers Start to Give Up on Copyright Restrictions - For photographers, the ownership of images seems obvious: they had the concept, set up the shots, used their creativity, drew on their technical skills, and produced beautiful photographs. The results belong to the artists who created them, and they’re the ones who should get to control how the photos are used.


• Photography Deals That are Worse Than They Look - A photographer finds that a bad deal included his being ridiculed by the end user of the photography.

Now go! Check 'em out, and come back soon!

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Livebooks - Speedlinks

Our colleagues (and, yes, advertiser) Livebooks does a great job over on their Resolve blog of posting timely and insightful articles on the realities of the business and marketing of photography. Here are a few:

• What is Branding - Want to build a strong brand that best represents your business? Sit down and define the following:
  
  

  What is your mission statement?
  Who are you? What is your business about?
  What are you values and your company’s values?
  What do you want to be known for?
  What is your specialty?



• Selling Relationships - The client wants to know that you are listening and want to meet his or her needs. The client wants a RELATIONSHIP.


• Pricing – How to Factor for YOU in Your Costs - I don’t care if you’ve been in business for 2 months or 20 years; this is something that is always of concern to small business owners. And, for those people who feel comfortable in their pricing, it is a short-lived comfort. Pricing must always be examined and re-examined.

Now go! Check 'em out, and come back soon!

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US News & World Report To End Print Edition

For as long as my professional career has been ongoing, I have always held as the holy grail, Time, Newsweek, and US News & World Report, in the magazine industry, as the harbingers of the industry. Now, US News is looking more like a pallbearer. As we learned from the Huffington Post (here) , US News will cease to print it's publication in 2011. You can be sure they'll do print editions of their "Best Colleges" and other "Best" special issues, but US News is essentially signalling that print is dead.

If the thickness of Time and Newsweek are any indication, I expect that they too will stop killing trees and go online, but with 30% of households not having internet according to this article, it would seem that that audience will no longer be served by US News, but, perhaps, that's not the audience they are targeting?

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PDN Acquires WPPI, After Capture, and Rangefinder

The evening of the PhotoPlus Expo Bash, on the USS Intrepid, it was announced by PDN that they (or, rather, their parent company, Nielsen) had acquired the publication Rangefinder, After Capture, and the trade Wedding and Portrait Photographer International (WPPI) trade show.

I've had the opportunity to attend both trade shows, and they couldn't be a more disparate group of people attending the PhotoPlus Expo and the WPPI show, so this seems like a solid move on Nielsen's part. As someone who has attended the PhotoPlus Expo for almost 20 years, and thinking it was the end-all-be-all of shows, it was enlightening (and refreshing) to see the group of photographers at the WPPI show, and, frankly, those photographers seemed far more focused on the business realities of photography than those at PhotoPlus. Further, the show's structure means that the seminars and show floor don't compete as much as they do at PhotoPlus.

(Continued after the Jump)

Interestingly enough, WPPI had tried to expand their perceived market from weddings and portraits to a broader audience, when they attempted to change their trade show name to "World Imaging Expo." Seemed a good idea, no? Well, apparently, the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) didn't quite like that idea, and filed suit a few years back because of their trademarked trade show "Imaging Expo" and "Imaging USA" tradeshows. The suit - Professional Photographers of America, Inc. v. Rangefinder Publishing Co., CV08-02324 SVW, was filed in the Federal District Court of Los Angeles. (more info here).

I think that the acquisition by PDN's parent company does two things - it solidifies and consolidates two well known and well respected brands, and also signifies to people who thought that PDN was on borrowed time that the PDN brand will be around for the forseeable future.

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PhotoPlus Expo 2010 - Day 1

It's the first of three days at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, and the 2010 PhotoPlus Expo is in full swing. Below are several interviews we did on the show floor with vendors we think you should check out!

ThinkTank Photo - (RSS readers click here)


PNY Technologies (RSS readers click here)


APhotoFolio (RSS readers click here)


Wiebetech Hard Drive Solutions (RSS readers click here)

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Photographs from the Edge of Reality

It is with great pleasure that I announce the release of my latest book - Photographs from the Edge of Reality. The book tells the stories about a number of the assignments I have done over the past 20 years, and the challenges, logistics, and obstacles that were surmounted to bring images back.

Why the title? Well, as I traveled around the world as a photographer, it quickly became apparent that stories like, “I was stuck on an overnight train, sleep deprived en-route Warsaw Poland as the border guards were demanding my travel documents at 4am in a language I didn’t understand…” or, “I found myself celebrating the Fourth of July with the Mexican Ambassador being serenaded by Ben Vereen…” or, “The President looked right at me as he was walking down Pennsylvania Avenue…” all seemed surreal to friends, family, and even colleagues. They seemed, in fact, made up, or impossible. Fortunately, my reason for being there was to document these circumstances–with a camera–seemingly from the edge of reality, hence the title.

Very early in my career, I began writing dispatches and sending them off to family, usually by email, well before the age of the commonly known Internet as it is today. It saved me time, as I didn’t have to recount the stories repeatedly and miss leaving something out. Over time, my life got a bit crowded, and I lost the time needed to do them as I previously had.

However, as most photographers will tell you, their photographs are not just images to them, but an instant reminder of what was seen through the viewfinder, as well as the environment outside of the frame, from weather to assignment challenges, to the shot that got away. This too, is the same for me. I also remember lighting setups, and even for film assignments, I can remember f-stops and shutter speeds, and usually focal lengths too. It’s a form of instant recollection that I am putting down on paper here not just to weave a tale from assignments past, but to bring these stories back to life, and share with you, dear reader, what went into the assignment. The challenges overcome, the missed shots, the lighting setups, and even, in some instances, the full take so you can see how a moment in time gets captured and selected.

As frequent readers of this blog Previously, I wrote the book Best Business Practices for Photographers, and you’ll find some of that information here in this book too. If, however, you want to read about the assignments and see the resulting photographs, and how they were achieved–from photographing presidents to Eastern Europe, to the biggest names in Rock and Roll and Hollywood–often making something out of nothing–then this is the book for you.

In over 20 years spent as a photographer, I have had the good fortune of traveling the world on someone else’s dime to make great images. This is the book of the stories behind some of them.

Here are what a few friends and colleagues have said about the book:

"John Harrington's, "Photographs From the Edge," is a real "how to" book that gives aspiring shooters insight into the real world of assignment photography. Harrington has done it again when it comes to describing his innovative approach to his profession, and his ability to share it with the world."

David Hume Kennerly, Pulitzer Prize Winner

"John shows you the world of Washington DC photography behind the pomp and power posturing. If you want to learn how to do it right, then this is the book for you."

Cameron Davidson, award-winning photographer

When John Harrington goes on assignment, you go with him. It's more than just loading your memory cards and batteries. It's figuring out where you need to be and how to get there. John is a Pro at business, and now with his new book, shares some of his hard won secrets of how to make your clients as happy with your pictures are you are.

David Burnett, award-winning photojournalist and co-founder, Contact Press Images

"With this book, John does not attempt to glorify or sugar coat what it is REALLY like to be a news photographer. This leads to a much more introspective and interesting look into the behind the scenes world that most will never get to experience. I can see this book appealing to both photographers as well as every day people who are interested in the details of what happens BEHIND the camera - not just in front of it."

Vincent Laforet, Pulitzer Prize Winner & frmr New York Times Staff Photographer.

Great stories from a great guy. Read this book.

Bill Frakes, award winning photographer

Let me here express my thanks to them for their kind words.

If you're travelling to New York City this week for the PhotoPlus Expo, I'll be at the Cengage Learning booth all three days (check the booth for times) signing copies, if you'd like one, and they will also have my previous book - Best Business Practices for Photographers, if you'd like a signed copy of that one, and presenting the seminar below, Thursday morning:




Here are the details:

COMMERCIAL/ EDITORIAL
Thursday, 8:45 AM – 11:45 AM

NEW! Delivering What You Promise on Global Assignments [TA3]
John Harrington
Sponsored by Cengage

Once the assignment has been booked and contracts signed, delivering on your promise is often one of the most challenging parts of the job. The key to longevity in the business is making sure the client gets what you said they would, despite the logistics of getting there, the challenges of pre-visualizing the final image and the demands of working with high-profile subjects. Through a series of his own assignments—covering subjects that range from Presidents to rock stars to your everyday Joe—Harrington will talk you through what it took to get the shot. Whether climbing to the crows’ nest of the Golden Gate Bridge or hanging out of a helicopter for air-to-air photography, the core of this presentation will be about learning from experience and knowing what it takes to get the shot. All levels.

So, go, sign up (here). While the book, Best Business Practices for Photographers has all manner of detail on the business of photography, there are not photos. This presentation will show you the photos, the behind-the-scenes images, and other details about how the assignment ended up!

Buy the book (on Amazon): - Photographs from the Edge of Reality.

(Comments, if any, after the Jump)

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Peter Krogh's Rebuttal to Our Post on Lawrence Lessig

In the interests of providing a forum for discourse on this subject, from time to time we offer differing and alternative viewpoints to be put forth, and to that end, Peter Krogh, former ASMP national board member, author of The DAM Book, Digital Asset Management for Photographers, and a longtime colleague of mine, has sent along an alternative viewpoint to our post titled "Lessig's Kool-Aid: Proposed New Norms - Don't Drink", which was a follow-up to our original post - "Thank God for Disney, The Wire Services, and the Record Labels!", in which we take great umbrage with Lawrence Lessig's position that was essentially encouraging wide-spread theft of intellectual property.

Following Peter's rebuttal, we'll offer a short response, and then the floor is open in the comments.

(Continued after the Jump)

John,
At the risk of seeming to be allied with the antichrist, I would like to point out that you are missing a large part of Lessig's point. And one part of it is undeniable - laws have not caught up with changing technology and cultural practice.

If you have not seen it, you need to watch RIP - A Remix Manifesto. It's freely available on the interwebs. It makes a pretty convincing argument that copyright law is broken. I don't agree with all of it, but I do agree with some of it.

It's clear that copyright law is being written for the large copyright aggregator, not the independent creator. The US registration scheme has long been written to protect the interests of big media while it works against the independent creator.

I believe that one of the difficulties we have is that photographers have cast their lot with big media, and our interests do not coincide. As a rule, we don't have the legal firepower nor the long-term interest in IP protection to warrant support of the same policies.

By taking the side of copyright aggregators, we say to the world, yeah, we are on the side of the assholes (as many people perceive them). But we are not Warner music - collecting royalties on "Happy Birthday" 100 years later. We have an entirely different set of realities, needs and priorities.

Pretending that our interests coincide with those of big corporate copyright aggregators will not be effective for us, in the long term.

I'm definitely not saying that appropriation from the independent artist without compensation is okay. I don't think Lessig is saying that either. I think he is talking about big media - remixing works that have become part of the cultural fabric, and have already earned a generous return.

Of course this is a tough line for us to walk. I don't want to say any appropriation is simply okay. But are we really on board with supporting a $400,000 fine for downloading a handful of MP3 files from Napster? I, personally, don't think that's a reasonable punishment for the equivalent of shoplifting a CD from Walmart.

You can say "it's the law", but the law didn't get there by itself. It got there because big media made it happen. And they pushed for that law instead of one that would really be beneficial to the independent creator - such as the right to sue for copyright infringement in small claims court, rather than federal court. (This is a place where the interests of the creator and big media are in direct confrontation).

I think what Lessig is saying is that laws have not caught up with the reality of the digital age. The deficiency of those laws gets a lot more obvious once you take your perspective overseas. A licensing scheme that seems plausible in the USA is laughably unrealistic in most of the rest of the world.

I recently spoke with a software company representative who acknowledged that there is simply no way that they could mass market in India or China. The value proposition is entirely broken. I have seen this myself in Africa.

I certainly don't have the answers (in many cases, there simply are no good answers at the moment). And I don't think Lessig has all the answers either. But until we accept some of the nuances and complexities of the entire situation, we won't even start down the road to a solution that works for the independent creator.

As I said earlier, I suggest taking a look at Brett Gaylor's film RIP. It really helps to frame this as a more complex issue

Peter Krogh
Author, The DAM Book, Digital Asset Management for Photographers
Second Edition May, 2009
www.theDAMbook.com

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We respond:

So, let me follow your logic on this one, see if I get it wrong:

The laws against the theft of intellectual property should be updated to allow for more efficient enforcement, tracking and compensation.

So, in the mean time, people should be encouraged to steal photographs from photographers, and photographers should be encouraged to throw away their IP or to allow unauthorized and objectionable uses of their creations?

Anyone should be able to go to your website, take photographs, use them, "remix" them, and do so without your knowledge or permission. Is that correct?

Really?

If not, what position would you take on people who visit your website and 1) want to use a photograph without your permission, or 2) take a photograph and remix it without permission?

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Lessig's Kool-Aid: Proposed New Norms - Don't Drink

Mr. Lessig, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and the Director of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics, has responded to criticisms of his position which essentially recommends wide-spread theft of intellectual property by re-mixers (and the law will eventually catch up and relent that doing so is ok), by using the time-honored defense of the beleaguered politician, suggesting what he was cited as having said was done so "without making clear the context within which I was speaking." Ok, let's first let readers listen to, in the entirety provided by The Creators Project, what Mr. Lessing actually said, because it's on embeddable video (and thus, allowable, according to Vimeo). So, without further ado, Mr. Lessig, in his own words:


(For you RSS readers, here's the link to see it on Vimeo)

Ok, so, let's look at what we said, in our last post:

"[Lessig] attempted to decree that the thieves of the world "can teach this culture how this form of expression is essential." By "this form" he meant, the mash-ups and repurposing of others intellectual property, and he goes on to say "When we've taught the culture, the law catches up..."

Hmm, that's spot-on accurate. That's exactly what he was saying. No contextual error there.

We also cited him as saying:

"We need to stand up and acknowledge what we're doing, give people credit, and thank them, but not ask permission"

What he said, if we are to actually believe the video showing the words coming out of his mouth, through the sound system, and recorded on video, is:

"Now, I think it's time for us just to stand up and be brave enough to acknowledge what we're doing. And acknowledge and respect the people we're building upon by saying it's this person's work I am using, and thank you for creating that work, but I'm not asking permission to remix that work."

Lessig spoke of this in relationship to how the hip-hop artists of the 80's and 90's were advised by corporate lawyers to hide whom they were remixing - why? Because it was illegal then (as it still is now) to do it. The context was essentially telling people that if you're using someone elses' creativity which they have transformed into intellectual property, whereas before people were hiding that violation of copyright, now, Lessig seems to be saying "stand up and be counted as someone who's taking others creative works, and give them credit when you repurpose it, but don't ask them for permission." Not withstanding the slight difference between the quote we cited from another blog, and the actual transcript of what he said, the sentiment is the same.

The last thing we quoted him as saying was:

"Respect in the 21st century is acknowledgment. When you use someone else’s work, you give them credit."

What was said was:

"Now we don't respect them in the old fashioned way, which means calling their lawyer or having your lawyer call their lawyer to get permission to include their stuff in your stuff, that's not respect in the 21st century. Respect in the 21st century is acknowledgement. it's to say, that when you use somebody else's' work, you're upfront about it. At the end, in the credits, somewhere, deep down, you clearly state I remixed, or I used this."

Hmmm, the context looks pretty much the same there, Mr. Lessig.

How about this one:

"When we've taught the culture, the law catches up..."

What he said, was:

"doing this more, acknowledging who we're building upon, and demanding the artist be respected as an artist, we can begin to teach this culture how this form of expression is an essential 21st century form of expression. We can encourage a much wider range of people to do it and celebrate it, and when we have done it in culture, then the law catches up."

And by "this", he was referring to his three (not four, as he suggested) points:

1. Spread re-mixing of others creative works far and wide, in every context possible. Not just on video sites, but in schools, public performance spaces, "in every single place we can."
2. Respect the work of others in a way he proposes to newly define "respect". By giving credit "deep down" somewhere, "in the credits", but not asking permission, nor, it seems, paying for that respect.
3. Building environments where the re-mixer owns the rights to the re-mix. (But not the underlying source material, he cautions.)

So, let me get this straight - we need everyone to do as much re-mixing as possible without asking for permission from those whose work we remix and rights we violate, and then build a paradigm where the remixer has rights that should be respected? And, eventually, Congress and the law will have no other choice but to accept this new paradigm?

Thankfully, no.

Now, Mr. Lessig has presented his defense. In his response, on the Huffington Post, he write in an article titled "The "Imbecile" and "Moron" Responds: On the Freedoms of Remix Creators", he revises and then re-outlines his position - this time, intended for a much broader audience.

Now, Mr. Lessig, it's time for your cross-examination.

(Continued after the Jump)

Mr. Lessig states that the frame for his presentation was having just watched 50 remix videos for a video contest, and that he was to address that kind of creativity. Lessig first points to how the competitors must have done more than just "grab" the work of others, but rather, they must have been "using the work of others in a way that is transformative...", and Lessig, if his professorship at Harvard Law School is worth it's salt, must know that setting forth this notion of using the copyrighted work of others in a transformative way - compilations and re-mixes is often specious, at best. Transformative uses, according to Stanford University (here), is "any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and "transformative" purpose such as to comment upon, criticize or parody a copyrighted work." With transformation, at least as it pertains to Copyright, it means that the use is in the public's interest, and as such, does not infringe on the copyright holder's copyright. So, hmmm, the famed Zapruder film of JFK's assassination - that old footage seen from a hill overlooking the motorcade as it passed by - the public's interest is so great that all showings of that film are transformative because of the public's interest? Hmmm, I think I know of at least one great lawyer who has demonstrated that this is false, in multiple courts of law.

Lessig then goes on to provide a history lesson on "fair use", the siren song of many an infringer. I agree that fair use is a critical cornerstone of copyright, and the ability to cite portions of a book, motion picture, or even a song (lyrically, or instrumentally) is important. When Lessig writes in his defense "even the most vigorous defenders of copyright recognize the critical importance of 'fair use' to our copyright system", I would fall into that category.

Let me make that PERFECTLY CLEAR again - I agree that fair use is a critical cornerstone of copyright, and the ability to cite portions of a book, motion picture, photograph, or even a song (lyrically, or instrumentally) is important.

Next Lessig posits his points from his talk (in his defense he suggests there were four, in the video, he only cites three). He states:

1. "First, I urged creators of remix to make much more of it...It should be practiced and critiqued in a much wider context." He then goes on to attempt to draw a parallel between re-mixing and kids learning to do creative writing essays by quoting other creative writers. In other words (it seems) - this is all about learning and education. He attempts to suggest that in his video, where he wants this done "not just on sites like Vimeo, in schools, in elementary schools, in universities...", however, there's a big difference between "making much more of it" as he defends himself saying, and saying "We need to spread this kind of creativity and expression in every context we can...in every single place we can", and then later referring to all the money that the hip-hop artists of the 80's and 90's would loose if it was discovered that their remixes contained the creative efforts of others, when he envisioned a statement from the rappers' lawyers to the rappers, who might have said "if they ever discover it they're going to sue your ass, and you're going to loose all the money you're making, so, be as obscure about it as you can." Lessig understands then, as now, that there's money in them thar remixing hills.


2. "we needed to develop better norms to govern remix creativity." The new norm, according to the videotape of his remarks, should be "Now, I think it's time for us just to stand up and be brave enough to acknowledge what we're doing. And acknowledge and respect the people we're building upon by saying 'it's this person's work I am using, and thank you for creating that work, but I'm not asking permission to remix that work." There are already established norms. For example, in publishing, if I wanted to quote Lessig in my book, I can cite a segment of his book - and while there is no hard and fast rule on the number of words citable without infringement, a paragraph or three, or a few hundred words from a 100,000 word book, would likely be within reasonable bounds. On TV shows, it's often 12 seconds or less of audio/music from a single copyrighted work. The problem with still photography, of course, is that the showing of a still photograph is not using a segment of the copyrighted work (i.e. a few seconds, or a few words) but the entire photograph. The new norm, it seems he's suggesting, should be that I can re-mix as much as I want, without needing permission. Norms, for sure in other arenas, have changed over the years. For example, the norm of acceptable language, sexual situations, and topics on TV has changed over the years. The norms for proper attire in public (street clothes and beach wear) too, has evolved. Yet, the norms of property ownership and the protection thereof should not be changing much.


3. "the remix creator needs to be recognized as a creator -- meaning, that creator needs to be assured she can keep the rights to her creativity." What he said was "we need to build environments where the remix artists is an artist - meaning, that artist - he or she owns the rights to what he or she creates." In this instance, I will agree with Mr. Lessig, along very narrow lines.
   
   For example, I for one can appreciate the talent that went into remixing the Sham-Wow guy's re-emergence into tv sales for the slap-chop commercial (here - 11 million view). That re-mix was amazing, yet, yes, an infringement. Would that re-mix artist ever have gotten permission to do that? No, but it went viral, and the slap-chop garnered far more publicity because of it, which is why the slap-chop people didn't send a DMCA take-down notice - in fact, they used it as an actual commercial, as noted here. In fact, the re-mixer, DJ Steve Porter, according to this Reuters article, was all but unknown doing "standard dance remixes to little fanfare for a decade", and then along comes the slap chop video, and he's a star. Next, he re-mixes an NBC News affiliate's interview of Antoine Dodson after an attempted rape of his sister in their home, and now it's the "Bed Intruder Song" with a combined 48 million views - but wait - also according to Reuters, there's "revenue for Antoine Dodson and his family, who will receive 50 percent of the track's sales profits".
   
   Lessig, however, wants the artist to be able to, for example, simply by re-mixing Star Wars video, be able to claim ownership of the finished product, and the creativity that a Star Wars remixer employs and the benefits derived thereof can't easily be separated from the creativity of the original underlying Star Wars material. Because, it seems, there could be commercial value to that remixed finished product, but the finished product would be worth far less had not just the original costs of creativity been incurred, but also the tens of billions of dollars of marketing that has made Star Wars a household name since the seventies. Lucas is essentially coming at it from the mindset that movie editors are a credited contributor to the movie, but not a stake holder in the final movie, as is the case in Hollywood now, and then, compensated as an editor. Lucas is essentially saying that you can re-edit my movies, but you can't commercialize the finished product no more than someone I hire as an editor on a movie I make can.
   
   Lessig then employed a charged word "sharecropper" - which draws direct lines of recollection to the South after the Civil War, where former slaves would work the land of property owners as sharecroppers, which became, for some, a new form of slavery. A choice use of words, Mr. Lessig, but the slaves saw few alternatives to earning a living and felt relegated to that station in life, hereas assigning the word "sharecropper" to re-mixers sets them up as an underclass that does not exist - they have countless opportunities. They can sow the land of creative opportunity in the land of public domain, or they can do so in Tornado Alley where the risks are far greater.


4. Lessig then spoke out of both sides of his mouth when he said "I suggested that remixers signal to others the freedom that they themselves have practiced....It's not my job to tell artists to give away their rights." Which one is it? You just did that, and, in point of fact, you espoused it's widespread happening "in every context...in every single way we can."

Then, you go on and suggest that "None of it, I thought when I finished, anyone should have any reason to disagree with. " Really? How about your organization, Creative Commons, whom you seem to have thrown under the bus? Where are you espousing CC licenses? Where? In fact, you didn't mention CC once! You espoused widespread use without regard for the rights of the original creators, as CC has a mechanism already in place and widely accepted, to do. Is this the ethical thing to do? I suppose as the Director of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics, you can define what's ethical and what's not - or, well, maybe not? I am supposing that the ethics of banker Safra would not not have approved. In fact, from the Foundations' website we learn that Lily Safra, who chairs the foundation and espouses a commitment to the caring for the less fortunate, would find a need to defend the rights of the starving artist photographers who's work would be a part of a re-mix and could not bring suit in your new norm and new world of ethics. While it may be attractive to serve the underprivileged in third-world countries, closer to home there is a creative community that is starving for the ability to pay rent and put food on the table, and your new world order would harm that very creative community. Realize what I was trying to point out in the previous post - what you espouse for Star Wars re-mixers because it couldn't possibly hurt the pocketbook of George Lucas would most definitely hurt the freelance photographer, independent musician, or documentary videographer who doesn't have Lucas' bank account nor lawyers, but would suffer in your new world of copyright without the means to defend their rights nor earn a living.

Then, when you defend your statement "take it and use it" by saying:

"If you understand 'take it and use it' to mean take whole copies (what others call 'piracy'), rather than what everyone in the audience heard, take in order to remix, then indeed it does sound as if I'm 'advocating widespread infringement.'"

Yes, when you're talking about the use of, say, a photograph in a video, guess what - you're taking the whole copy. That's what happens when you use a still image.

When you state "it would indeed be outrageous that a professor of law would be advocating infringement. "

Yes, it would, and - certainly when it comes to still images - you would be doing so. In fact, many remixers use whole songs as the audio track of their visual remixes. Here's an especially amazing example of that (25 million views) - possibly using military footage (which would be likely be in public domain) but a copyrighted song. So, what say you?

You then write "I believe copyright law should be updated to the 21st century. But in the mean time, I am quite explicit: don't violate other people's copyrights." So, which is it, Lawrence? "in the mean time...don't", or, is it do it now "in every context...in every single way we can." and then, as you state in the video "when we have done it in culture, then the law catches up." You can't have it both ways.

Then, seemingly chagrined to be challenged by the rights-holders when your mindset comes to light for an audience greater than 150 people, you write "I didn't give the talk I gave on national television, or even, on the Internet. I gave it to 150 souls." So, this is like the Dixie Chicks hoping their anti-American tirade they went on on stage in Europe shouldn't reach their American audience? Or, perhaps, then candidate Obama, who, in an intimate donor's dinner in San Francisco, as cited in the Huffington Post here where he thought he didn't have a broader audience, criticized the good people of Pennsylvania when he said "they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion."

You then suggest "We need an anti-moron norm: If something sounds crazy, assume its not." Really? "A woman drives her minivan with her kids strapped into the seats into a lake to drown them, so she can be with her boyfriend." Crazy, but true.

How about: "Mr. Embassy official - my son, he's going on a jihad against America. He's going to strap a bomb in his underwear and try to blow up an airplane on Christmas Day." (here).

If you follow "if something sounds crazy, assume it's not", then what about that guy (here) who built a "community where they could escape American capitalism—and criticism—and practice a more communal way of life?" In the end, his followers, under US government scrutiny relocated to Guyana, and no one could have ever imagined that his direction to drink the Kool-Aid he gave them would kill more than 900 people!

It seems you're offering up your own flavor of "new-norm" of Kool-Aid, and no one should be drinking. Not 150. Not 900. Not anyone. Please, return to your ivory tower, and while you're at it, get Rapunzel a haircut.

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