The fairly recent introduction of copyright regimes in controlling user interaction with content plays a significant role in the trajectory of the convergence of ideas through media platforms.
But how is this so..?
As explained by Lawrence Lessig in 2004, before the implementation of copyright laws, any individual or group could reproduce content and use it freely for whatever purpose they so desired – in other words, the original creators did not have any claims that bound their content to them specifically.
This concept has since been controlled by notion of ‘fair use’, whereby a media user can potentially be sued for affecting the original value of the content produced. However, copyright practices are still widely prevalent in our current media culture.
But in terms of influencing the trajectory of media convergence, the future of the control of content is heavily dependant on how participatory media decide to utilise these copyright regimes. There are two possible outcomes here:
- The art of copying and reproducing the ideas of others continues and develops to a greater extent
OR
- We become encapsulated in a media society whereby permission is a requirement for rewiring or recreating genuine ideas
