Week 7 – Demi Mishiev – Response to Molotov Man

Story depicts a man holding cocktail molotov in a Pepsi bottle in his hand. This picture will later be reproduced as paintings, prints, puzzles, and many more formats. Copyright cases on copyright cases. Something about this picture attracted people. What attracts them is similarities or references they can find to their lives. Everyone could interpret it in the way they see it. Photographer managed to catch not only the right moment, she captured all the emotion coming from that man. The photo was complete success, however what made it what it is right now is the fight for ownership of this picture.

Photographer wanted the artist to pay for the plagiarising her work. However, is it plagiarism, he found inspiration in this picture, and he tried the show the world the way he sees it. He is trying to share HIS vision. Once you made your art available to public you have to be ready that people are going to try and copy it. Some will try use it in their corrupt schemes, however others, they might see something no other saw. Others will be able to interpret their ideas through your art.

I think that copyright on web is complete and utterly idiotic. Internet was created to communicate and share ideas, results, discoveries and art. One can not expect that something you post online will not be copied by somebody out of millions internet users. And in my opinion thats the beauty of it. You are able to share your vision, your creations with people who will either appreciate it and try to replicate it or will create something new out if, enriching and pushing human creativity beyond it limits, hopefully.

I am not saying that you should not give credit to the original creator. Giving credit would be the most moral solution. Everyone would be fair towards each other. Unfortunately, it will never work, some people don’t think about copyrights, some don’t care, some ignore and most of us just way to lazy to cite or credit someone.

In Europe Article 13 have passed, which enforces multiple copyright laws on internet. What it means is that people are being censored, if you don’t give credit you don’t talk. It always starts from small regulations and ends up in anti utopian scenario, ex. 1984 G. Orwell, where government control everything, big brother sees and hears everything, it tells you what to say, what to think and what to do.

More people are focusing on the copyright fights, more government will have reasons to limit our access to information. So my solution would be, think twice before posting anything online, do you mind people seeing copying and sharing it, and how will affect your life.

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