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Full-Text Articles in Law
"Transformative" User-Generated Content In Copyright Law: Infringing Derivative Works Or Fair Use?, Mary W.S. Wong
"Transformative" User-Generated Content In Copyright Law: Infringing Derivative Works Or Fair Use?, Mary W.S. Wong
Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law
In the United States, the line between the type and level of transformation required for a copyrightable derivative work and that required to constitute fair use has not been drawn clearly. With the rise of user-generated content, this question (which arises in two distinct copyright contexts) has become even more important. At the same time, copyright law has generally shied away from defining authorship as a legal concept, preferring instead to develop and rely on the related (but not identical) concept of originality. This has resulted in a low copyrightability threshold that does not adequately account for the fact that …
Mass Culture And The Culture Of The Masses: A Manifesto For User-Generated Rights, Debora Halbert
Mass Culture And The Culture Of The Masses: A Manifesto For User-Generated Rights, Debora Halbert
Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law
User-generated content is a term used to describe the division between culture produced as a commodity for consumption and the culture that is generated by people acting as creative beings without any market incentive. While under current copyright law all types of creativity are protected, the laws of copyright exist primarily to protect commercial forms of expression, not the non-commercial ones that form the foundation of user-generated content. The disconnect between what current copyright law protects and how most people create generates tensions that must be addressed. This Article presents an argument for broader protection of all creative work, including …
User-Generated Content And Virtual Worlds, Greg Lastowka
User-Generated Content And Virtual Worlds, Greg Lastowka
Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law
Many legal commentators have claimed that virtual worlds owe their popularity to their focus on user-generated content and user creativity. While this is true in part and authorial freedom may draw consumers to virtual worlds, user-generated content can also pose risks to virtual world business from both an aesthetic and legal perspective. A significant tension exists between permitting participants to create content freely and building a successful virtual environment. In some instances, user-generated content can overwhelm virtual worlds. The future of user-generated content in virtual worlds is not clear, given the significant practical and legal problems that accompany user-generated content.