Copyright can be a delicate subject in today’s society. The proliferation of the internet has enabled many content creators to use content from other artists. While some this infringes on copyright laws, Lethem argues the opposite. While not explicitly stated, he takes a stance to resists the copyright laws set in America.
He first starts out his essay with examples of how notable works in the past have been influenced by other works of literature. This implies that no idea stems from one self but rather an influence of other people’s work. The implication of this idea is that no idea is completely original. Artists must be influenced by others in order to progress or create new pieces of work. Picasso once said that “Good artists borrow, great artists steal”. If this notion of influence is true, then no one truly owns their content. Lethem in fact alludes to this by mentioning how Walt Disney’s content stems from The Brothers Grim. Yet, the irony is that the company aggressively pushed for copyright on their content as if they owned it. The ownership of the content has been used simply for-profit reasons. While the idea in this essay isn’t new, it does remind people of the controversy of the copyright laws in America.