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atesz's review against another edition
5.0
This is a deeply thought provoking writing about free culture and the related state of law. It contains many interesting stories about similar situations from the past. The writer shows vividly how can hold the current laws back the progression of the technology and the possibilities which it provides to the artists. Moreover Lessig outlines a complex possible solution to resolve the current issues.
banandrew's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic look at the evolution of copyright in America over the last century and how technology (especially the Internet) is affecting it. Despite being eight years old, it is still relevant w/r/t the Internet, though I would be curious to see more updated numbers on estimated file-sharing and discussion of more recent issues such as Netflix/Hulu vs. the cable distributors. This book discusses how radically the conversation about media rights and the assumptions we previously held have shifted in recent years as the MPAA and RIAA have lobbied to keep the public domain from growing. Worth reading if you care about the rights of artists and creators, trends in legislating digital media, or just understanding why YouTube videos keep getting taken down for the most absurd reasons, this book is for you.
chairmanbernanke's review against another edition
4.0
Essentially, the genuinely free culture should be the one we make.
ashryn's review against another edition
4.0
A bit preaching to the choir, but not lessig's fault... A must read for anyone wanting to have an argument in favour of 'information wants to be free'.
gnatroberts's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know how to fairly rate this book. Lessig's writing is clear and cogent. Within the property system as it stands, he lays out a compelling argument for placing limits on copyright. However, Lessig continually writes himself into ideological knots to avoid challenging the concept of private property itself, which leaves this book a frustrating tangle of half-measures. Lessig perpetually declares he is not an anarchist and consistently uses that term derisively, yet his own arguments underscore the oppressive nature of our current system. Lessig seems terrified of an increasingly obvious truth: Private property is inherently oppressive, doubly so when it's applied to the realm of ideas.
I'm glad I read this book and will gladly recommend it to anyone interested in the conservative argument for limiting copyright, however it's only reaffirmed my own commitment to anarchism. Lessig's only goal is to mitigate the ills of capitalism's property system, rather than take the canker by the roots and remove it. As such, his arguments never rise to meet the moment, and instead flounder in the philosophical shallow end. He's clearly possessed of a brilliant mind, but he misdirects his talents by trying to constrain a monster that ought to be slain.
I'm glad I read this book and will gladly recommend it to anyone interested in the conservative argument for limiting copyright, however it's only reaffirmed my own commitment to anarchism. Lessig's only goal is to mitigate the ills of capitalism's property system, rather than take the canker by the roots and remove it. As such, his arguments never rise to meet the moment, and instead flounder in the philosophical shallow end. He's clearly possessed of a brilliant mind, but he misdirects his talents by trying to constrain a monster that ought to be slain.
carly_mckenna's review against another edition
5.0
Most of us assume that copyright law exists, first and foremost, to protect the intellectual property of creators. Free Culture, however, asks us to reconsider this assumption. Whose interests does copyright law serve, how has this changed throughout history and what implications does this have for our creative culture? These are the fundamental questions that this book takes up.
Free Culture contextualises the contemporary debates about p2p file-sharing by tracing the inconsistent history of copyright law. Using some fascinating (and very clever) examples, Lessig reveals the way in which many of our current media industries were established through what we would now call "piracy". He draws our attention not only to a history of "borrowing", but also to a legal tradition that endorsed it because of the cultural benefits.
Why, then, are today's technological innovators the target of such harsh infringement penalties? Lessig eloquently argues that copyright law protects our existing media industries from potential competitors. Ultimately, copyright has come to serve the interests of powerful industries at the expense of our creative culture. This stifling of creativity, as a result of vested interests, is Lessig's fundamental concern- and it should be ours.
Free Culture is not anti-copyright, nor does it advocate a "no rights reserved" culture. It does, however, make a compelling case for reform that cuts unnecessarily long and restrictive copyright terms. Lessig ultimately proposes a balance that recognises the rights of yesterday's creators without restricting the creative freedom of today's innovators.
This book was thoroughly engaging and incredibly informative. But most significantly, it encouraged me to re-evaluate assumptions about intellectual property that I had taken for granted and accepted as fact.
Free Culture contextualises the contemporary debates about p2p file-sharing by tracing the inconsistent history of copyright law. Using some fascinating (and very clever) examples, Lessig reveals the way in which many of our current media industries were established through what we would now call "piracy". He draws our attention not only to a history of "borrowing", but also to a legal tradition that endorsed it because of the cultural benefits.
Why, then, are today's technological innovators the target of such harsh infringement penalties? Lessig eloquently argues that copyright law protects our existing media industries from potential competitors. Ultimately, copyright has come to serve the interests of powerful industries at the expense of our creative culture. This stifling of creativity, as a result of vested interests, is Lessig's fundamental concern- and it should be ours.
Free Culture is not anti-copyright, nor does it advocate a "no rights reserved" culture. It does, however, make a compelling case for reform that cuts unnecessarily long and restrictive copyright terms. Lessig ultimately proposes a balance that recognises the rights of yesterday's creators without restricting the creative freedom of today's innovators.
This book was thoroughly engaging and incredibly informative. But most significantly, it encouraged me to re-evaluate assumptions about intellectual property that I had taken for granted and accepted as fact.
mammajamma's review against another edition
5.0
Available to listen to -- free -- in mp3 format:
http://www.turnstyle.org/FreeCulture/
The illustrative stories that begin every chapter are fascinating. Anyone who understands analogies and cares about our culture will be puzzled about the new expansions of copyright until decades after an creator's death, apparently because of the influence of a few lobbyists, like Sonny Bono's suddenly bereaved and very sympathetic widow and the apparently "charming" Jack Valenti.
But even more frustrating than companies like Disney trying to kill the public domain access that Disney was founded on, are stories of organizations like the RIAA and MPAA trying to outlaw technology to protect their outdated business models.
I started listening to this book with that "homework" feeling, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed the whole thing.
http://www.turnstyle.org/FreeCulture/
The illustrative stories that begin every chapter are fascinating. Anyone who understands analogies and cares about our culture will be puzzled about the new expansions of copyright until decades after an creator's death, apparently because of the influence of a few lobbyists, like Sonny Bono's suddenly bereaved and very sympathetic widow and the apparently "charming" Jack Valenti.
But even more frustrating than companies like Disney trying to kill the public domain access that Disney was founded on, are stories of organizations like the RIAA and MPAA trying to outlaw technology to protect their outdated business models.
I started listening to this book with that "homework" feeling, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed the whole thing.
karang's review against another edition
5.0
Free Culture is a different book. Written by a lawyer, it's free of BS, free of filler content. It's 300-something pages of just logical, reasonable content.
I agreed with Lessig's premise that the current IP system is stupid, reading Free Culture gave clarity to my thoughts.
Lessig is not anti-copyright, he just wants common sense in the system. Common sense is something that's left out of political discussions. That's what has caused MPAA and RIAA and others to hold create copyrights for decades (centuries soon?) - even after the author has died. Whose interest is then being served by the copyright law? The answer is clear.
Lessig is very articulate, and logical, and gives solid examples of prior cases. He puts historical context to get his point across. There are no (minimal) images in the book, and no unnecessary whitespace - it's 300+ pages of solid content.
Lessig's writing style is a bit dry, but I expected that (he's a lawyer). I'm a fan!
I agreed with Lessig's premise that the current IP system is stupid, reading Free Culture gave clarity to my thoughts.
Lessig is not anti-copyright, he just wants common sense in the system. Common sense is something that's left out of political discussions. That's what has caused MPAA and RIAA and others to hold create copyrights for decades (centuries soon?) - even after the author has died. Whose interest is then being served by the copyright law? The answer is clear.
Lessig is very articulate, and logical, and gives solid examples of prior cases. He puts historical context to get his point across. There are no (minimal) images in the book, and no unnecessary whitespace - it's 300+ pages of solid content.
Lessig's writing style is a bit dry, but I expected that (he's a lawyer). I'm a fan!