I don't believe in copyright // Uncopyright

This is an essay that my brother left. I believe this is a newer essay of his, but I think it’s important to share it in the beginning. The entire project will abide by these views.

Below is a faithful transcript of the above:

I don’t believe in copyright

I don't support the idea of copyright.

Artists usually get extremely defensive when they hear me saying this. Maybe I’m not big enough, or that I don’t understand their struggle because I’m not making enough money off of it. Or that I’m not a “real” artist.

I’m a programmer, both closed and open source. I’m a painter. I’m a writer. A musician. I put out a lot of content out there since I was a teenager. My entire life revolves around creating content.

I believe that claiming ownership of ideas through intellectual property enforcement is wrong.

That's why everything I create is in the public domain. I don't hold onto the legal copyright for any of my works.

Feel free to take my creations, change them, use them, or even sell them. It doesn't bother me. I'd rather have people see my work and share it with their friends.

I'm not in favor of how copyright laws are enforced and used by corporations and governments.

In the end, they often exploit small guys to maintain their high profits. I believe that the so-called protection offered by anti-piracy campaigns, lawsuits, and lobbying actually harms artists. Limiting distribution to increase profits isn't beneficial in almost no case.

It's unethical to make knowledge and culture inaccessible to those who have less money.

We've been led to believe by corporate propaganda that intellectual property and copyright benefit creatives and help culture grow. But in truth, they are often used to suppress creative individuals and hinder cultural development.

If it weren't for intellectual property and copyright laws, we could have had many more beautiful things by now.

A simple example. Imagine all the fantastic things the community could make with the Star Wars universe if there was no IP. If anyone could make a comic book and sell it without getting into “deals.” Instead we have Disney.

Artists hardly earn anything from their “intellectual property” anyway.

I think it's nice to give credit and compensate people when you profit from their work. Supporting creators when possible is a good practice. Especially the smaller creators.

Accessing media or information doesn't harm anyone. As a creator, my wish is for people to see my work, enjoy it, and share it with others. If you pirate my book, you wouldn’t buy it anyway. Go for it.

Uncopyright doesn’t equal a lack of monetary exchange. Like everyone, I also NEED to make a living. If you can't afford to pay, it’s ok. But if you have some extra money, consider supporting. It’s pretty simple. I’ve been on both sides of the fence many times.

But sometimes I simply don’t WANT to support someone, yet I want to see it. Well, whoop-de-doo.

If someone shares my work with their friends, I don't see that as a loss. In fact, it means my work is reaching far more people than I could manage on my own. That's something worth celebrating.

If someone wants to take my work and improves it, like artists have done for centuries, I find that amazing. Whether they make my posts funny, inspiring, thought-provoking, or even sad, I fully support it. The creative community benefits from such derivations and inspirations.

This idea isn't new, and I'm openly stealing these ideas myself. The first time I heard the term “uncopyright” was in 2008 from the blogger Leo Babauta [Jack's note: he is likely referring to this post from Zen Habits] and this essay is mostly a rip-off of what he wrote.

-

Consider the paradox inherent in the valuation of creative works. In our world where every keystroke, brushstroke, or note is “protected,” what becomes of the intrinsic value of these creations? There's a certain irony here – in an age where information proliferates at the speed of light – clinging to the notion of ownership. What happens when we strip away the monetary value from a piece of art? Does it become more pure? Does it attain its essence more? Money versus art in terms of value is a fascinating topic for another time.

-

zero talent