Corporate Control of Creative Works Raises Concerns Over Public Access to Culture
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Intellectual property law has evolved to give corporations long-term control over creative works, reducing public access to culture. Sony's purchase of Bruce Springsteen's catalog exemplifies this trend.
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Copyright terms keep getting extended, now up to 70 years past the creator's death, restricting use of older works and enriching corporations.
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Judges struggle to define fair use and often lack expertise to rule on complex IP cases involving art and music. Outcomes are unpredictable.
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Generative AI models like ChatGPT, trained on vast amounts of copyrighted data, face multiple lawsuits over infringement. Legal status is uncertain.
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AI may undermine the entire copyright system. Machine-made works may not qualify for copyright, yet have huge creative potential. IP battles now are over money more than anything.