This week we will focus on:

Creativity & Copyright

All work is due by midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023

Below is a list of what’s to be completed this week.

• How has the Internet affected society’s views on Copyright? This week, watch one of the two following documentary films Rip! A ReMix Manifesto (run time 87 minutes) featured below:

Or, Everything is a Remix (run time 37 mins).

Both films have a similar themes. Some of these are:

• Creativity involves borrowing, remixing, and building upon existing ideas
• Copyright laws protect existing works but may slow or stifle creativity in new works.
• Knowledge and creativity are improved by freely exchanging ideas.

Considering the above themes, write a reflective blog post on your experiences with making and/or consuming creative works such as books, films, television, and online content. In what ways do copyright laws impact creativity? What questions did the films raise as you were watching? What ideas in the films contradict what you may have previously known? This class encourages using a remix approach to digital storytelling. What considerations should be made when repurposing the work of others? What are some foolproof/safe ways of doing this? What are some more risky approaches? How do you expect to proceed this semester?

• Read 2-3 of these articles and resources about Copyright. Discuss these on Teams.
  • Recent copyright cases. Take a look at some of these-they are interesting.
    • The Dr. Seuss mashup case (From 2020) addresses the four elements of fair use
  • Photographer sues Getty Images for 1 Billion Dollars! And the results of that suit.
  • NFL Fumbles in Copyright Takedown
  • Katy Perry’s Shark
  • Mickey Mouse & Deadmau5
  • Video Streaming depresses ownership
  • NFL Fumbles in Copyright Takedown
  • 2016 Led Zepplin Suit
  • Judge Rules Happy Birthday Song is in Public DomainYou might be aware of other recent, related copyright cases. Share them with us on Teams and I can update this list.

• Read Austin Kleon’s post “10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered: Lessons from my book ‘Show Your Work!’” (requires a free login account) Also have a quick look at his previous “Steal Like an Artist” book. In a nutshell, these books describe the both the way this course works and a value system that can benefit you throughout your professional career. After looking over these materials, pick one idea that resonated with you and write a blog post in response to that idea. Tell us about the idea and how you might incorporate it into your work.
  
  For example, as a professor, I think that his idea of “study” vs “skim” is a powerful one in today’s digital climate. No one can take the time for actual study and skimming rules the day. For me, bringing back careful study would be a great improvement in our lives. What Kleon ideas resonated with you?

• Learn How to Write Assignment Posts: Read How to write up assignments like a blogging champ. I would like to see some excellent posts each week. It is important not only to tell us what you did but how you did it and what you learned from it.
  • The Work Itself
  • Telling the Story Behind the Story
  • Narrating the Process.

  Be sure to write up new posts for each activity you complete, then write a summary post at the end of the week that references each of these posts.

• Explore the Assignment Bank: Use the DS106 Assignment Bank to do at least 8 stars’ worth of assignments of your choice. Choose assignments from at least 3 different categories (visual, audio, etc). 8 stars could be 8 1-star assignments, or a 4-star and two 2-stars, or any other combination. Try to incorporate our Survival theme into one or two of the assignments you complete using real history or works of fiction and pop culture. There is no right way to complete these, just use this opportunity to express yourself creatively through digital media. Be sure to document your work using the recommendations described in “How to Write Assignment Posts.” Share your best work on your space on Miro’s Island.
• Begin commenting and interacting with online participants in DigMe256. Share some of the work you have completed and comment on the work of others. This can be done on Miro and/or Teams.
• Document your week’s work in a single written summary post that includes links to each of these different assignment posts along with a discussion of what was accomplished. The key goal here is to reflect on what you learned and accomplished and document it all in one place. Submit the working link to your weekly summary post to week 2 assignment on Canvas.

Due Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023