Lynne Spender
Centre for Cultural Research, University of Western Sydney, Australia
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Published in: Inter: A European Cultural Studies : Conference in Sweden 11-13 June 2007
Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 25:58, p. 565-570
Published: 2007-11-27
ISBN:
ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)
Copyright law was developed almost 300 years ago in a pre-computer; print based world when copying of printed works was difficult and visible. Based on ‘ownership’ of tangible works; the law granted creators the right to control the copying of their work for 28 years from publication; a period that has now been extended to 70 years after their death. Digital culture is now challenging the economic; cultural and social efficacy of this law. Digital culture has a ‘sharing’ (non-proprietorial) dimension which promises a more universal sense of ownership of knowledge; information and cultural products. This paper looks at the clash of print and digital cultures in an emerging knowledge economy and argues that it is time to abandon the enforcement of the current proprietary system and to implement an alternative system that encourages innovation; creativity and the development of a vibrant; accessible public domain of knowledge and cultural works.
