YAY and BOO!

[jedishampoo]

YAY: I has finished my fic for 7thnight_smut. It's at this moment being cleared of plotholes and egregious grammatical errors by my beta, sharpeslass. I shall not divulge the final word-count but I'll say it's the longest thing I've written in the Saiyuki fandom. I sure hope my recipient doesn't hate it-- one never knows. Still, I'm just glad it's done. ::phew::

BOO: Apparently Jamba Juice's ad agency has totally ripped off artist/cartoonist David Rees with their latest ad campaign. (Found on urbaniak's journal-- http://urbaniak.livejournal.com/208277.html; warning on that link for language.) I guess some young ad executive was dying for ideas and decided that this Internet cartoonist would be obscure enough to rip off completely. It really ticks me off that this happens so often in our money-and-fame-driven society, though I am shocked it happens in our instantaneous-blogging Internet culture. I mean, maybe there's not much new under the sun. And the original cartoonist was using art from the public domain. But copying someone's stuff exactly? Slimy, I says. (Says the once-hopeful-ad-exec and writer. I changed my mind on careers but I still respect good advertising.)

Comments

[rroselavy.livejournal.com]

I'm amazed that people think it's okay to plagiarize. Even if the original artist is using art from the public domain, I'd venture it's still his style, no? That would be his intellectual property, then.

It's interesting. You and I both probably remember the huge ruckus that was raised when rap and hip-hop became popular--the sampling of songs and repackaging the samples into new original art did not come without cost to the up-and-coming artists. I get their argument that it was aural collage, and I think they had a valid point that they did have some creative license -- similar to transformative works, which is a kindly name for fanfiction.

The problem comes when profits are being made. I wonder if Picasso were doing his collages with French newspapers in today's climate, would he be sued?

I'm not making any strong statement (so what is my point, really?), except for this, where someone's intellectual property is causing someone else monetary profit, then there should be reparation ...

(And congratulations on finishing! I can't wait to read it!)

[jedishampoo.livejournal.com]

I know! It's like, if they work for a corporation or are hired by one, they feel they are free to rip off the little guys.

I do remember the sampling fiasco. (Sampled songs often annoy me-- especially "Under Pressure" becoming "Ice, Ice Baby." ::shudder::) They actually have to pay for the usage, now, right?

Fanfiction is totally without payment, except in the case of a few losers who try to sell their fanfiction, the doofuses you hear about now and then; I do believe it's different, like you say-- the problem comes when money comes into the picture.

(It's sent, woohoo! Thank you!!)