Selma, there is another issue here. The times have changed, so have communications and the economic realities. The tiatrist in Goa has some understandable fear that if (unauthorised) video recordings of his work travel the globe, he would lose out on audiences.
Unless he sees how he could make use of the new electronic technologies to retain the viability of the tiatr, the tiatrist could respond with Luddite panic. While promoting ideals like Creative Commons, Free Software and sharing of knowledge, those who are on our side of the fence believe that it is important to also promote ways and means for the artiste, software writer and writer to earn a living too. Of course, I do not subscribe to the unfair critique of JoeGoaUk. AFAIK, he hasn't uploaded entire tiatrs online without permission. On the contrary, he has played a crucial role in promoting awareness about new Konkani VCDs available in the market, by painstakingly building lists about what's new there. Not everyone believes in an I-won't-share-my-content-unless-you-pay-me-for-it approach. Last evening, the Tragedy King Mario Menezes of Chinchinim requested me to attend his "Fattlean Poi" show at the Kala Academy, and was very helpful in ensuring that I got some nice images, both still [1] and moving [2]. His request was wholly understandable -- don't reveal the plot, and snippets are fine. Blaming JoeGoaUk for something he has not done is unfair. It's easy to spread suspicion by mere innuendo. Today's copyright laws can be pretty ludicrous; but at the same time we cannot force anyone to share with what they 're not willing to share. The model of the Creative Commons and related campaigns is to take a step and creative sharable products online. People like JoeGoaUk who have done such a useful job, could consider using licenses like the CC. As far as the tiatr goes, I suspect that leveraging cyberspace would help them hugely; but unless the tiatr fraternity is assured that they won't lose out to new technology, they could well be suspicious of it. FN [1] http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/sets/72157623868555021/ [2] To be uploaded at http://www.youtube.com/user/fredericknoronha Selma wrote: > And what about these tiatrists who are all bent out of shape about > JoeGoaUK giving them some free publicity. There was a time when > anyone could hear their songs on the radio and even record them > for free on small cassette records if they liked them. They could > make copies of this recording if they wished and send it abroad > to their friends and relatives who didn't get to hear Konkani > music where they lived. > Those were the days before our tiatrists got to hear about > copyright and CDs and putting commercial interests ahead > of their artistic integrity. Those carefree days are gone now > and we are so eager to accuse people of stealing from us, > even people who are only trying to help us. Frederick Noronha Don't call the alligator "big mouthed" till you have crossed the river. -- Creole proverb
