WFUD 2012: Journalism, Fashion, and Poetry
WFUD 2012: Journalism, Fashion, and Poetry
WFUD 2012: Journalism, Fashion, and Poetry

    Get Involved Today

    Without fair use, we wouldn’t be able to criticize, comment
    on, parody, or quote anything without permission first. This is the exception
    that makes this Yogi Bear
    alternative ending
    possible, that lets you photocopy the pages you need
    for that final research paper you’re writing, and that allows Jon Stewart to
    show clips from the news networks he’s criticizing.

    Not every unauthorized use of a copyrighted work is an
    unlawful use. But with the never-ending conversation about copyright
    enforcement these days, it would be easy to assume that you can’t even touch a
    copyrighted work without permission from its author.

    There are several exceptions to copyright—the
    government-granted monopoly on the production and distribution of a creative
    work. One allows libraries to create archives, another allows you to resell
    used textbooks. But every year for the last three years, Public Knowledge has
    come together to celebrate our favorite copyright exception hero: fair use.

    So join us Friday, May 4, to celebrate how fair use allows
    us to create, explore, and challenge the world around us—without asking for
    permission first.

    Here’s a sampling of what to look forward to:

    Keynote
    Speakers

    Robert Pinsky, former Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to
    the Library of Congress, is the first keynote speaker.  As Poet Laureate, Pinsky spearheaded
    the Favorite Poem Project, to which thousands of Americans have submitted
    readings (both video and audio) of their favorite poems.

    Kirby Ferguson, creator of the series Everything is a Remix,
    will also deliver a keynote presentation. Showing that no work of art is
    created in a vacuum, Ferguson’s web series is a fair use masterpiece that
    challenges notions of originality.  

    Journalism
    and Fair Use

    The future of journalism relies on fair use.
    Most of the media ventures that are achieving success—online and off—aggregate
    and comment on news content. Many mainstream news magazines also rely on their
    fair use rights to excerpt others’ news clips for their readers.  Websites
    like The Huffington Post, Gawker, Newser, and Drudge Report, and publications
    like The Week, Newsweek, and Time are all successful because they have the
    legal ability to reprint summaries or commentaries of news items because of the
    fair use doctrine.

    Given the wave of lawsuits regarding copyright in online
    journalism and linking practices on blogs, a discussion of fair use in
    journalism couldn’t come at a better time.

    Panelists: Ryan Grim, Huffington Post; Josh Voorhees,
    Slatest; Angela Chuang, AU

    Moderated by Joe Torres, Free Press

    A World
    without Copyright: The Fashion Industry

    Because the artistic community in fashion has
    long survived and thrived without copyright protection, “remix” in fashion is
    boundless—fashion designers are free to riff on anything from their
    contemporaries, to trends, to 50-year-old styles.  The cycle of
    inspiration and imitation are the fashion industry’s bread and butter.
     High-end fashion designers draw inspiration from style on the street,
    while low-end retailers democratize high-end trends by selling more cheaply
    made versions of designer apparel.  And because copies quickly saturate
    the market and trends so quickly become ubiquitous, each new season brings new
    designs and trends.

    Adding a new layer of regulation like copyright
    protection to the fast-paced fashion industry would only burden it: imagine a
    designer seeking legal sign-off on every piece; the top brand going after
    competing new-comers; or the new design studio shutting down under the weight
    of legal costs. In a world where there are few legal ramifications for direct
    copying, the industry relies on social pressure and brand recognition instead.

    Panelists: Nora Abousteit, Kollabora.com; Ilse
    Metchek, California Fashion Association

    Moderated by Marisa Gluck, Radar Research

    Poetry
    and Fair Use

    For over a century, poetry has been rife with
    quotation, appropriation, and remix. Public readings are just one aspect of the
    rich culture of poetry in which fair use comes into play. Practices like
    allusion and pastiche are not only common, but are a rich and accepted
    tradition among poets. In order to pay homage or to critique another poem,
    poetry is often highly referential. There is also a long-standing literary
    tradition of poetic epigraphs proceeding articles in magazines and chapters in
    books. In all these scenarios, fair use is a crucial tool for poets to create
    their work.

    Poetry critics also rely on fair use to a
    greater degree in order to write reviews. Without fair use, critics wouldn’t be
    able to quote from the poetry they are critiquing. Additionally, new questions
    about fair use and copyright are being raised as poets and their publishers
    seek new ways to distribute and popularize poetry.  

    Panelists: Peter Jaszi, AU; Susan Tischy, GMU;
    Casey Smith, Corcoran College of Art and Design; David Fenza, AWP

    Moderated by Sherwin Siy, Public Knowledge

    Eventbrite - World's Fair Use Day
    WFUD