Posted by Randy Barnett:
George Lucas Wants You To Work for Him for Free:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_05_20-2007_05_26.shtml#1180018241
George Lucas, ruthless defender of his intellectual so-called property
rights, is about to launch a redesigned website providing hundreds of
Star Wars(TM) video clips along with the software to create mashups.
�Star Wars� fans can connect with the Force in ways they�ve only
imagined beginning May 25, when StarWars.com launches a completely
redesigned website that empowers fans to �mash-up� their homemade
videos with hundreds of scenes from �Star Wars� movies; watch
hundreds of fan-made �Star Wars� videos; and interact with �Star
Wars� enthusiasts from around the world like never before.
With an innovative, interactive site that allows users to navigate
to multiple �Star Wars� worlds, a new video focus, and
groundbreaking �Web 2.0� features � including a unique online
multi-media mixing platform from Eyespot � the new StarWars.com
will unveil its redesigned website on May 25 to commemorate the
30th anniversary of the �Star Wars� Saga.
Among the most compelling features of the newly redesigned
StarWars.com is the incorporation of an online video-editing tool
provided by Eyespot. It allows users to add their own video shots
to more than 250 scenes and music taken from all six �Star Wars�
films and create their own �Star Wars� movies to share with others.
For more of this story, click [1]here. According the Wall Street
Journal this morning, the fan-created videos will run along with
commercials "with Lucasfilm and Eyespot splitting the proceeds." Asked
about why Lucasfilm will allow this use of their images, a spokesman
said, "If someone wants to commercialize it, that's where we've drawn
the line." So it's OK for Lucasfilm to commercialize the creative
efforts of Star Wars (TM)fans, but not the other way around.
But the laugh is really going to be on Lucasfilm because, as we all
know, people won't invest scarce time producing creative works that
others want to watch without the financial incentives provided by
intellectual "property" rights granted for "limited times" (i.e. in
perpetuity). So it is safe to predict that no one will contribute any
mashups to the new Starwars.com website. Boy, will that be
embarrassing for them!
PS: Don't Google(TM) "Starwars mashup" unless you want to see a bunch
of amateurish uses of Star Wars(TM) clips, like this one, that are
taking food out of the mouth of George Lucas, depriving him of the
opportunity to commercially exploit his own us of Star Wars(TM) clips
as mashups, and preventing him from raising the funds that are needed
to make a watchable entertaining feature-length Star Wars(TM) film:
[EMBED]
References
1.
http://www.901am.com/2007/starwarscom-selects-eyespot-for-multimedia-mixing-platform.html
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