I actually really enjoyed reading this essay by Lethem. The way the piece was divided into detailed sub headings actually provided a lot of insight into the contents of the work. The one that really had me interested was the “Usermonopoly” piece. I didn’t really think about all the elements that go into a shot.
For example, in a film scene, the characters are usually dressed, eating/drinking, at a destination, wearing accessories or engaging in some sort of activity. I recall seeing so many instances of film scenes where Apple computers or watches are used as a key component but never really consider all the legalities that went into enabling that product positioning to occur. All of those aspects require branding and the assurance of intellectual property as Lethem informs us.
What Lethem continues to speak about is the fact that even in this “culture” everything has a “value”. It made me think that nothing is really able to be used without incurring some sort of fee or someone attempting to make profit of it. Lethem gives the example of Girl Scouts paying royalties for singing songs or shop owners coming under legal scrutiny for playing music in the background of their stores.
Where did the time go where people could freely create for the purposes of pure enjoyment? Without the need to worry about others infringing on their own intellectual property? Without the need to be continually checking changing laws online to see if their actions are deemed illegal?
I really feel for the artists themselves as it is so hard to mandate what exactly is “copyright” and “intellectual property” with so many barriers just to try and enter into the industry it is no surprise that individuals become deterred from pursing something that they really do have a passion for.
As Lethem concludes this part of his essay with, “the loser is the community, including the living artists who might make splendid use of a healthy public domain” (6).