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Where is the Copyright War in Glee-land?

By Posted by Alan Wexelblat

Guest blogger Christina Mulligan has a brilliant post up at Balkinization on the popular TV show "Glee" and copyfight issues. She calls copyright "The Elephant in the Middle of the Glee Club" and she's absolutely right. The show's cast commit copyright violation after copyright violation and yet the topic isn't part of the show - the word isn't even uttered.

As I've noted before, this is the generational change we've come to. The kids in Glee's high school reproduce, co-opt, adapt, remix, and produce derivative works. In their fantasy world they get to upload stuff to YouTube and become viral heroes. If they put this stuff out on P2P networks in the real world they'd get sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars in statutory damages. But since it's on a network show the whole issue is glossed over.

And you know what? It should be. The urge to share may or may not underlie what has happened but it's inarguable that the generational change has happened.

I don't particularly like Glee-the-show (musicals give me hives, what can I say) but to the extent that they're accurately representing the way today's high schoolers view remix and appropriation my hat is off to them.

Full post as published by Copyfight - The Politics of IP on June 09, 2010 (boomark / email).