Multimedia Presentations

Michael Geist in Vancouver 2009

In this eighty minute speech, Dr. Michael Geist, the foremost authority on
digital copyright in Canada, speaks to a mixed audience in Vancouver. The
speech itself is in eight, ten minute segments on YouTube, so you'll need to
start each segment separately. Apologies for the sound quality. The talk
was sponsored by the BC Civil Liberties Association, The Tyee and the UBC
School of Journalism. October 1, 2009, at the Wise Hall

The Current on Ralph Lauren

In this 30 minute segment on the CBC Radio show "The Current", host
Hanna Gartner discusses the recent Ralph Lauren dispute on BoingBoing.net.
Lauren's lawyers tried to force BoingBoing to take down a post
critical of one of their advertisements using the kind of Notice
and Take Down tactics allowable in the US, to silence the criticsm.
In Canada, where BoingBoing is hosted, we appreciate free speech a lot
more and use a Notice and Notice approach to such problems. In this
case it has clearly proved superior, preventing a copyright holder
from leveraging his copyright to silence legitimate criticism. Hanna
Gartner interviews Grace Wescott from the Canadian Copyright Institute,
and Wm. Patry, senior copyright counsel at Google.

Stephen Fry on Copyright

In this 30 minute speech English actor, comedian, and novelist, Stephen Fry,
provides a most eloquent recap of the history of information, and passionate
criticism of Big Music, Big Film and Big Media.

CBC - Who Owns Ideas?

In this one hour radio program, CBC Ideas explores the history, evolution
and future of copyright. New technologies and internet culture have upset
the traditional corporate apple carts of Big Music, Big Film and Big
Publishing. Big Entertainment has reacted demanding tough new restrictions
and strict enforcement. The program explores existing copyright laws from
various perspectives, demonstrating that existing forms of corporate control
cannot be adapted to internet culture where everyone has the ability to make
perfect copies of just about anything. Constructively, it discusses possible
compromises that could be made to help create solutions acceptable to both
culture and commerce.

Cassandra C. Jones on Creativity

In this 10 minute video, visual artist Cassandra C. Jones discusses
how she deconstructs and then reconstructs everyday images from the
internet to create entirely new works of art. It's an excellent example
of how new culture is built upon prior work and why copying is essential
to creativity in the internet era.

Rickard Falkvinge - Pirates Go To Parliament

In this hour long video, Rickard Falkvinge, leader of the Pirate Party of
Sweden explains his party's platform as an essential defense of civil
liberties in the internet era. The Pirate Party recently elected it's
first member (perhaps two) to the EU Parliament, principally because of
young people and their understanding of copyright issues.
NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, this video is in two parts.

RIP: A Remix Manifesto

RiP: A Remix Manifesto is a documentary film about copyright and remix
culture in internet society. Filmmaker Brett Gaylor shows us that new
technology has dismantled the wall between creators and consumers.
Everyone is a participant now. Anyone can create remix. The film features
Girl Talk a remix artist who creates very popular music and has legions
of adoring fans and supporters among them Creative Commons founder,
Lawrence Lessig, Brazil’s Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil and pop
culture critic Cory Doctorow. Remix: Piracy or Art? You decide!

Revolution OS: The Story of Linux

Revolution OS is a 2001, 85 minute documentary about the history of Linux
told by the movers and shakers who created the rebel operating system now
used by over 100 million people world wide. Linux is the product of internet
collaboration, and the use of copyright, as copyleft, to create freely
usable, freely distributable, freely modifiable software. It's the perfect
example of what can be achieved when corporate control over copyright is
relinquished and freedom is empowered.

The Code Linux

A 2002 multi-lingual, hour long documentary about the Linux operating system
discussing it's development and providing more insight into the technical,
ethical, political and social values behind the community that continues
to create it.

Ubuntu Linux - Mark Shuttleworth

Billionaire software developer Mark Shuttleworth gives a 2006 overview of
the design of Ubuntu Linux. He describes the features and functionality of
this leading edge distribution of Linux in some detail, including a
philosophy that emphasizes freedom and collaboration with the full spectrum
of the Open Source Community. He provides considerable insight into what it
takes to manage an enormous number of users, contributors and employees.

Free Software and GNU OS - Richard Stallman

Richard Stallman gives a 35 minute, 2006 talk at Canberra University. He covers
the Free Software Movement, GNU, Linux and the GNU/Linux Operating Operating
System, privacy, copyright, and patents. His discussion of copyright covers
the DMCA and the way it prevents GNU/Linux users from playing a DVD or using
certain network servers to play a game. He also discusses the way patents are
being used as a weapon against free software. As always, Richard is the
champion of freedom par excellence. This lecture also includes a humorous
introduction to Richard's alter ego, St. iGNUcius of the Church of Emacs.