Second Writing Assignment

Bebo vs Lessig Remix

The social network king website I chose to introduce is Bebo. It was launched in July of 2005 founded by Michael Birch and his wife Xochi Birch. It currently is owned and operated by Criterion Capital Partners after taking it over from AOL in June of 2005. Bebo is somewhat similar and competitive with Facebook. Every user receives a profile that consists of a comment section and a list of users. Users can chose from a selection of modules to add as well. The account is created from a default profile that is set up to be private in which limits access to friends or other users unless specifically added. Public profile is an option in settings. Personalization is also prohibited on this social networking site in which you can chose designed templates for backgrounds known as a “skin”. Profiles also can include quizzes, polls, voting, unlimited photo albums limiting 96 images per album, blogs, comment sections, list of bands, list of groups, a video box, etc. The video box can either be hot-linked from youtube, uploaded directly to Bebo's servers, or copied from a Bebo Media Content provider's page. All of these aspects of the social networking service could be used to elaborate on Lessig's argument to a change in the current copyright laws.

Bebo's current copyright policy states that you may not post, modify, distribute, or reproduce in any way any copyright material, trademarks, or other proprietary information belonging to others without obtaining the prior written consent of the owner of such proprietary rights. Bebo respects the intellectual property rights of others and reserves the right to terminate any user's access to the Bebo Service according to these terms of use if Bebo is notified that such user's activities infringe the rights of third parties on more than one occasion. If you think your work or another user's work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement you are given the option to file a copyright infringement notification with them by sending a written communication that should include their required information. If you also believe that if an material that you have uploaded to the service has been removed in error and does not cause infringement you also may file a counter-notice by sending a written communication included their required information.

In Lessig's Remix, he argues the fact that there needs to be a change in the current state of copyright laws in regards to legalize remix culture. Lawrence Lessig, the reigning authority on intellectual property in the Internet age, spotlights the newest and possibly the most harmful culture war—a war waged against our kids and others who create and consume art. America’s copyright laws have ceased to perform their original, beneficial role: protecting artists’ creations while allowing them to build on previous creative works. In fact, our system now criminalizes those very actions.

Advancements in all of these new technologies have made it irresistible for users to disregard these what we call unreasonable laws. Some of today’s most talented artists along with many other individuals are considered felons because of this very law even if they are your average every day good people. Because the computer allows for it we, as this generation, see no reason why we shouldn’t do what computers from this day in age and the current Web will allow. Burning a copyrighted CD for a friend to “biting” riffs from films, videos, songs, etc and making new art from them is not prohibited but we still at this point in time do it. Criminalizing ordinary people for a crime that in my opinion is harmless is exactly what our society should not do, and Lessig shows how we can and should end this issue. Lessig states,“it is time we stop developing tools that do nothing more than break the extraordinary connectivity and efficiency of this network.” This quote ties into the argument very well because the copyright laws are in fact lessening our amount of connectivity within our networks. He also states that the internet was born a sharing economy; for example, with the social networking website Bebo users share everything from photos to what they are doing that day. Already so much is being shared on these social networking sites that Lessig puts up a good argument.

Another good quote to further the topic stated by Lessig is “Creative work is a “public good” meaning that (1) once it is shared, anyone can consume it without reducing the amount anyone else has; and (2) it is hard to restrict anyone from consuming it once it is available to all.” Once you post to the internet it really is so simple for anyone to use your idea and branch of it. That is actually the exact way I start mapping out ideas for designing websites. I look at how other good websites are structured and pull ideas to enhance my own design. If one sees something inspirational and something that they like its instinct in my opinion to share their ideas. I see this everyday working in the art department. We work in a community of artistic talent and we all are forever bouncing ideas off of each other. Lessig explains how the copyright laws enforce losses in innovation, and stifle certain kinds of creativity.

I particularly paid much attention to the chapter quoting the difference in a commercial economy and a sharing economy. Putting this into perspective really helped me to tie in my own experiences and my take on the whole argument. One quote in particular grabbed my attention which was “commercial economies build value with money at their core. Sharing economies build value, ignoring money.” He also talked about how both of these ideas combined create what he considers a third economy being the hybrid economy built upon sharing and commercial economies. These things put together seem to create a better economy that is more practical!

My favorite quote from the book:

“He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.”