There are two generic problems currently facing the prospect of a robust and freely accessible cultural commons. The first is to justify appropriate copyright reform. Restrictive copyright laws have taken most of the Western world by storm over the last couple of decades. We must figure out how to roll them back and open up more possibilities for the development of a vast and venerable cultural commons. The second problem lies in encouraging more contribution to the cultural commons. Although we are said to be in an age of "producer-consumers" most of those who partake in online activities merely consume. Both issues can be addressed in a couple of ways.
Justifying appropriate copyright reform is no easy task. As mentioned above, many of these laws have been in place for decades or otherwise have been decades in the making. In order to get any government to listen to the ideas of the "culture-as-commons" viewpoint we must introduce valid economic arguments.
In 2004, Henry Jenkins showcased that media convergence is more than simply a technological shift. The relationship between existing technologies, industries, markets, genres, and audiences have been definitively altered. Is this a bad thing? No. Economically, there really is no basis in the claims of many big industries.
There is seemingly no empirical evidence showcasing that drops in revenue in particular industries are a result of free or illegal access to certain products. Other reasons as to why revenue is supposedly falling in areas like CD and DVD sales do exist. Competing forms of entertainment, such as video games and social networks are important cogs in the growing mass-market of interactivity. These platforms are seemingly replacing - or, at worst, attempting to - more dated forms of entertainment like music and movies.
An aging demographic does not help the issue. As our country and other Western countries grow older there is less of a market for modern cultural products, music especially. Older constituents simply have no desire to purchase churned out pieces of "culture" that do not appeal to them. The shrinking youth population still wants these new forms of entertainment, but the market for culture seems to go with the demographic.
Extensive copyright laws can also hinder the long-term economic growth potential of the economy. By limiting access to the creative works of talented individuals, as Kirby Ferguson puts forth in his instructional videos, we are denying the fact that "everything is a remix" - if not denying, we are willingly suppressing the potentially infinite cultural endeavours of those who wish to contribute to the commons.
By enforcing such restrictive copyright laws we are encouraging the production of below average cultural products. Producers in music, movie, and television industries will know that they will generate at least some return on investment no matter how poor the quality may be. This reinforces a poor level of cultural commons in the economy, inhibiting current and future economic growth potential in the process.
Besides simply showcasing the crippling economic effect of restrictive copyright laws, we must also encourage contribution to the cultural commons. This is also traditionally not an easy thing to accomplish. Many people consumer what is produced on the Internet and in various other forms of cultural entertainment but very few actually contribute themselves.A classmate of mine indicates, that it might be the "constant stream of information" that prevents us from contributing more ourselves. It is not that we are discouraged to participate; in fact, Youtube constantly encourages us to "like" and comment on videos. It is that we are encouraged to continually consume which, in effect, reducing the amount of time or effort we could put in to producing content ourselves. It is a fantastic point and quite eye-opening.
Continuing along the same vein, another classmate - Raymond - outlines his nostalgic experience watching old Simpsons clips on Youtube. Although this may seem rather benign, there is an important parable taken that builds upon the point of over-consumption and under-production. We enjoy these remixes as they can evoke even the most remote of emotions. However, if we continue to enjoy consuming cultural content so much that we have no incentive to produce any ourselves the quality will eventually deteriorate.
Teresa Rizzo's article study solidifies and consolidates the importance of my classmates' contribution to this discussion. She attributes an exhibitionist tendency to those who produce cultural content. I might add that most people today do not possess such traits and exude more of a voyeuristic tendency. Most enjoy watching, reading, and listening to the products of others instead of producing content themselves.
One way to encourage contribution is to allow a participatory effect. Sites like Youtube use a rating system which allows users to grade the level of cultural content which eventually procures a more robust commons in the process. Another way is to utilize the concept of a profile. Companies like Facebook and Twitter allow people to display their online personalities however they deem appropriate. By instituting profiles on the sites that host the desired cultural content, more users will be encouraged to participate online.Keeping away negativity is also relatively important for sites to attract more producers. Most people are prone to the theory of loss aversion; most people prefer avoiding losses to acquiring gains. Thus, many are afraid to contribute online due to a fear of rejection or insult. Sites like Youtube are rife with abusive comments. By reducing or removing these negative stigmas surrounding online participation, more online constituents will contribute.
Ostensibly, the entire purpose of the "culture-as-commons" viewpoint is to promote free and easy access to cultural products in order to proliferate the production of remixes. Yet, providing economic incentives - as in monetary rewards - for those who go above and beyond the call of duty, producing something brilliant, will spring novel, intelligent ideas to the forefront of modern culture.
I think we all like the sound of that.
First image created by user: Stuart Miles, www.freedigitalphotos.net
Second image created by user: FrameAngel, www.freedigitalphotos.net
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