PIRACY - ARE WE ALL GUILTY?

In our age of digitisation, the introduction of the internet has generated an infinite online world with endless entertainment, communication and economic opportunities. However, it has consequently conceived  new, never before seen methods and types of crime, from behind the perceived protection of a computer screen.

File-sharing has been one of the major debates to come from the internet regarding regulation of intellectual property protection. Philip Weiser describes the situation, stating how even people using 'information platforms' that support the viewing of content - be they instant messaging systems, media players or Web browsers - face a muddled set of legal doctrines that govern the scope of available intellectual property protection (2003, p. 534).





Music is the obvious medium which is renowned for being shared and downloaded, by most digital media users. I myself have downloaded full albums and television series from file-sharing websites and I'm sure most of you reading this have done this or in a similar form.

It is interesting to note how all those who share or download intellectual property are made out to be common thieves, as is exemplified by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)'s 2004 'Piracy, it's a crime' movie trailer warning. This familiar pre-movie clip depicts people stealing a car, television, handbag and movie, and then casts a movie downloader in the same criminal light.



Piracy, it's a crime (2004)

 This is an example of devaluation, a term used by Martin Moore and Salter (2010) to describe the industry's "demonisation" of file-sharers as. It breeds an argument that the file sharers are also victims in this debate.

The opposite of devaluation is validation, which "raises the status of the person involved". (Martin et al. 2010). The aim of this is to rise against the industry, by being open about file-sharing participation. It is becoming increasingly powerful as artists like Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and The Smashing Pumpkins "challenge the industry’s attempts to devalue file-sharers".

I think there are different degrees of piracy in file-sharing and downloading, however I think it is embedded in our digital culture now, and will always be a prominent aspect, and perhaps a never-ending debate.



References:

Weiser, P 2003, 'Columbia Law Review', The Internet, Innovation, and Intellectual Property Policy, Vol. 103, No. 534, retrieved 29 August 2013,
http://lawweb.colorado.edu/profiles/pubpdfs/weiser/InternetInnovation.pdf


Martin, B, Moore, C and Salter, C. 2010, ‘Sharing music files: tactics of a challenge to the industry’, First Monday, vol. 15, no. 12,
http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2986/2680

Picture:
http://www.technobuffalo.com/2012/01/23/many-popular-file-sharing-sites-implement-huge-changes/

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmZm8vNHBSU

MUSICAL MODERNISM

One particular area of global culture that exemplifies the way in which globalisation is at work is music, in terms of the style and methods of today, juxtaposed with those of the past.

During the past, different cultures understandably had unique styles of music. These were used and enjoyed by their respective cultures, and remained relatively  unknown and unrecognised in other countries. An example of this is 'Blues' music, which originated in the deep south of the United States in the late 19th century. However, it wasn't until around the early 1920's when this style, along with many other styles of music became popular, and not only in their native counties.

Ray Charles Robinson - Voted the most influential blues musician by The Daily Telegraph

This coincides with a post-traditional movement known as 'modernity', which is defined by Chris Barker as the movement marked by the move from feudalism toward capitalism, industrialization and the nation-state (2005, p. 444). I prefer Giddens' more simple summary of the term, stating modernity is a society of technical innovation unlike any preceding culture, focusing on the future rather than the past (1998, p. 94).

This 'modernism', along with 'post-modernism' are the terms which describe the drastic advancements during this time, which consequently fuelled the globalisation machine.

Our world has since turned into a 'global-society', which means that there is an increased interconnectedness between people, resulting in a single-world society. This concept can explain the way in which music has travelled and transformed over the years.


Simple things which we take for granted such as traditional radios, all the way through to modern digital recording have played a role in the globalisation of music. Methods of distribution advanced, increasing accessibility and forever changed the geography of music. Using the 'blues' example, we can see the impact it had on other forms of music such as rock and roll, jazz and popular music of today.

What is the blues?

 

Music is a big part of mine, and most people's lives. Everyone has a favourite style, era and genre, often reflecting their identity. Although the question of 'how' rarely comes up in our busy, contemporary lifestyles, we can thank modernism and globalisation for what comes out of our headphones today.


References:

Barker, Chris. 2005. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice, SAGE, London.

Giddens, A & Pierson, C 1998, Conversations with Anthony Giddens: Making Sense of Modernity, Stanford University Press, California.

Picture:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/9617952/30-key-blues-musicians-in-pictures.html#?frame=2369292

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAt0L5TGuEY

GLOBAL FLOWS AND SCAPES

While the concept of globalisation is not new, it has most definitely grown in importance and relevance in our contemporary society. Different generations experience multitudes of varying forms of globalisation, none more than our current generation. Globalisation depends on many key elements such as age, culture, religion, area, and socioeconomic status to name a few.

There is a wide array of definitions of globalisation, however the way in which I perceive the concept is most closely exemplified by Thompson's definition stating, "Globalisation. . . refers to the growing interconnectedness of different parts of the world, a process which gives rise to complex forms of interaction and interdependency" (1995, p. 149).

Globalisation affects all of our lives, and it is interesting to study the significant change that it has caused in my parents day to day lives, in terms of the way they are able to communicate through digital media.


The modern world at night (PHOTO: SolarWorld Blog USA)

By simply discussing their journey through different stages of communication, the effect that globalisation has had on both the devices and methods of communication is obvious. For example, my Dad has gone from advertising his Plastering business through only the Yellow Pages to using online resources to expand his client base. My Mum now regularly uses Facebook to locate and contact old friends who were otherwise unreachable, and can keep track of what they are up to. These changes were not one drastic point in time where globalisation infiltrated the entire world, but a series of more concentrated events in time and space which together shape the way we live and interact today.

Rantanen (2005, p. 8) points out that "one of the salient features of globalization in the modern world is that it takes place increasingly through media and communication." This exemplifies the way in which my parents have adapted to the new technologies and endless channels of communication that arose from globalisation. It also explains

The rise in these transnational processes and the way that globalisation is in a constant fluid state indicates that global availability of products and information will continue to increase due to the 'flows' of globalisation through media and communication.

REFERENCES:

Rantanen, T 2005, Theorising Media Globalisation’, The media and globalization, Sage, London, pp. 1–18. 

Picture:
http://www.solarworld-usa.com/blog/2011/08/tanzania-africa-part-1.aspx