Introduction: Digital Nation: Copyright, Technology, Politics

Authors

  • Geoff Stahl Victoria University of Wellington
  • Shane Homan Monash University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5429/662

Keywords:

policy, copyright, digital music, Kim Dotcom

Abstract

This special issue examines issues relating to technological, regulatory and industrial change in the popular music industries. The issue draws upon on the breadth of IASPM international knowledge to present a diverse conversation about rights and revenues, particularly copyright law, structures and practices. The collection of national case studies here—Canada, Turkey, Britain, Mali, Brazil—reinforce the need to recognise the very local conditions and cultures that operate, even as leading copyright exporters (such as the U.S.) attempt global regulation. In the introduction we also discuss an infamous digital music entrepreneur, Kim Dotcom, an outrider who refuses to observe national and global copyright law.

Author Biographies

Geoff Stahl, Victoria University of Wellington

Dr Geoff Stahl is a Senior Lecturer in Media Studies at Victoria University in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. His research is focused on cultural production in the city, and in particular on the social relations and systems of representation associated with urban creative labour. He is interested in urban semiotics, popular music and cultural geography. He is the co-author of Understanding Media Studies (Oxford University Press) and the editor of "Poor, But Sexy: Reflections on Berlin Scenes" (forthcoming 2013, Peter Lang).

Shane Homan, Monash University

Associate Professor Shane Homan is Head of Communications and Media Studies at Monash University, Melbourne and has written widely on music industries and cultural policy. He is the co-editor (with Tony Mitchell) of Sounds of Then, Sounds of Now: Popular Music in Australia (ACYS Publishing, 2008). He recently completed an Australian Research Council funded project, Policy Notes: Local Popular Music in Global Creative Economies, with Professor Martin Cloonan (Glasgow University) and Dr Jen Cattermole (Otago University).

References

G., M. (2012) Megaupload Goes Down. 21 January. The Economist. http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/01/online-file-sharing Accessed: 16 May 2013.

Dotcom, Kim (2011) Kim Dotcom—Megaupload Song HD. MrKimDotcom YouTube Channel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Wvn-9BXVc Accessed: 2 Apr 2013.

Hardt, Michael and Negri, Antonio (2000) Empire. Harvard: Harvard University Press.

Hutchison, Jonathan (2012) Megaupload Founder Goes from Arrest to Cult Hero. The New York Times. 3 July. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/technology/megaupload-founder-goes-fromarrest-to-cult-hero.html Accessed: 2 April 2013.

Johns, Adrian (2011) Piracy: The Intellectual Property Wars from Gutenberg to Gates.Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Mills, Ellinor (2011) Mystery Surrounds Universal’s Takedown of Megaupload and You Tube Video. C/Net.17 December. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-57344570-245/mystery-surrounds-universals-takedown-of-megaupload-youtube-video/ Accessed: 2 Apr 2013.

Whittacker, Zack (2012) 'Last rites' for ACTA? Europe Rejects Antipiracy Treaty. CNet. 4 July. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57466330-38/last-rites-for-acta-europerejects-antipiracy-treaty/ Accessed 20 May 2013.

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Published

12-04-2013

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2013): The Digital Nation: Copyright, Technology and Politics

Section

Editorial

License

Authors retain copyright, while licensing their work under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.