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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Free Culture summary
Lawrence Lessig
The Nature and Future of Creativity
16 mins
Brief summary
Lawrence Lessig's 'Free Culture' explores how copyright laws and the digital age are shaping our culture. It argues for a freer exchange of ideas and challenges the notion that creativity should be controlled and owned by corporations.
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Free Culture
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Eighteenth-century English copyright laws were intended to prevent publishers from monopolizing the spread of knowledge.
In the age of the internet, stories of pirated movies and music are commonplace. Maybe you’ve even infringed on someone’s copyright by downloading copyrighted material! But while this might seem like a modern phenomenon, the issue has deeper historical roots.
In late eighteenth-century England the right to reproduce books, or copy-right, belonged to small but powerful groups of publishers.
For example, a group called The Conger had owned exclusive rights to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet since its first publication in 1597. Their exclusive claim to books acquired from authors gave them complete control over the market for books in England, meaning they could keep prices high.
All that changed in 1710, when the British Parliament adopted the Statute of Anne, the world’s first copyright act. The statute set limits on how long a work could be copyrighted: newly published works had a copyright term of 14 years that was renewable as long as the author lived. All works published prior to the statute had a term of 21 years.
The idea was to foster competition in publishing by limiting the rights of existing publishers. Once a copyright expired, the book would then become free for other publishers to publish, thereby breaking the big publishers’ monopoly and helping spread valuable knowledge.
So how did the publishers react to these new limitations?
Once the 21 year term expired, publishers began to protest. At first, they simply ignored the statue, and acted as if their copyright was never-ending.
In 1774 they brought a legal case to the House of Lords to ask for extensions on expired copyrights. The Lords, however, refused, rejecting perpetual copyrights and deciding instead that works would be released into what they called the public domain after the copyright expired. Once works were in the public domain, they could be printed by anyone.
The United States would later adopt this system. So what happened when these laws made their way across the Atlantic?
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What is Free Culture about?
Free Culture (2004) looks at the history of copyright law and its implications for culture and creativity. Using his expert insights as a lawyer and law professor, the author explains how powerful media corporations are using the law to stifle creativity in the age of the internet, and what we can do about it.
Free Culture Review
Free Culture (2004) by Lawrence Lessig is a thought-provoking exploration of the impact of copyright laws on creativity and innovation. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It offers a compelling argument for the importance of a free and open culture, challenging traditional notions of copyright and intellectual property.
- By examining real-world cases and historical examples, the book illustrates the negative consequences of restrictive copyright laws, sparking important discussions.
- With its accessible language and engaging storytelling, the book manages to make a potentially dry topic fascinating, ensuring readers won't find it boring.
Best quote from Free Culture
Technology means you can now do amazing things easily; but you couldnt do them easily legally.
—Lawrence Lessig
Who should read Free Culture?
- Anyone who’s ever pirated copyrighted material
- Creatives who want to foster their skills
- People interested in media history in the United States
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Free Culture FAQs
What is the main message of Free Culture?
Free Culture emphasizes the importance of open access to information and the need to reform copyright laws.
How long does it take to read Free Culture?
The reading time for Free Culture varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Free Culture a good book? Is it worth reading?
Free Culture is a thought-provoking read that sheds light on the impact of copyright laws. It's definitely worth your time.
Who is the author of Free Culture?
The author of Free Culture is Lawrence Lessig.
What to read after Free Culture?
If you're wondering what to read next after Free Culture, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Self-Made Billionaire Effect by John Sviokla and Mitch Cohen
- Saving Aziz by Chad Robichaux with David L. Thomas
- Testing Business Ideas by David J. Bland and Alexander Osterwalder
- Free Speech by Jacob Mchangama
- Elevate by Joseph Deitch
- Moore’s Law by Arnold Thackray
- Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday
- Boost! by Michael Bar-Eli
- Licence to be Bad by Jonathan Aldred
- Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace