For nearly 500 years, copyright has been a primary mechanism on which our systems of authorship and sharing operate; a must-have for creators to benefit from their hard work. But if we evaluate that claim, the picture is murkier. Has copyright spurred creativity? Or has it commodified a societal good? Has it helped the best works rise to the surface? Or caused us to value all the wrong things? And with all the speculation about how AI is going to “kill copyright” (or vice versa), it seems like we’re on track for a crisis in how we incentivize and reward creativity. If that's the case, the open community is better positioned than most: we already employ a host of different methods to incentivize creation that aren’t necessarily reliant on copyright. This panel will discuss the nuances of intellectual property, capitalism, creativity, and change management. How do we get from where we are to where we want to be? What are we doing now that helps - or hinders - our journey there?
Attendees of this session will be able to:- Attendees will gain an understanding of the history of copyright and the intersection with capitalism and colonialism
- Attendees will learn about the variety of ways societies have encouraged creativity and authorship beyond intellectual property rights
- Participants will explore the ways in which open education is already leveraging alternatives to copyright-based incentive structures
- Participants will discuss the ways in which open licensing may or may not reinforce copyright
- Participants will discuss the ways in which copyright’s rules, incentives, and boundaries do or do not serve the many purposes of authorship
