Privacy & Confidentiality

The  emergence of new media tools such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have been creating some tension between copyright owners, the public and site managers. Copyrights owners have requested from companies like YouTube to take down videos posted because of the copyrighted content of certain material used.

 

Tim Arrango tells us that the "law provides a four-point test for the fair use of copyrighted works, taking into account things like the purpose, the size of an excerpt and the effect the use might have on the commercial value of the actual work." but because YouTube is generating revenues because users are posting videos, copyright lawyers argue that the commercial aspect of the copyright law applies.

This privacy and copyright issue hinder creativity as people are afraid to post videos or do not contest the copyright companies decisions to take down their videos even though there are groups of free lawyers representing them according to the article About fair use, and the problems of old media: As Rights Clash on YouTube, Some Music Vanishes" by Tim Arrango

Writers and  artist are now posting their works online for the public to taste for free. people can download unknown artists  songs for free. This gives the artist exposure to the public who can sample their and decide based on the number of downloads if this artist is able to make a name for himself just like Allan Vilhan in the article  by Andy Raskin "Giving it Away (for Fun and Profit) Creative Commons encourages artists to share and distribute their work for free. And that could be the key to a new multibillion-dollar industry". The artists makes money however if a company wants to use their music for a movie or soundtracks for a commercial or a game for example. A new company, Creative Commons,  is making a name itself serving as the intermediary between the artist and rest of the public and leading the way to a new industry.