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Summary

As modern technology moves artistic reproduction into the digital age, the way society experiences and appreciates art continues to change dramatically. This transformation brings to light many fundamental questions concerning the right to buy, own, and distribute artwork. Because different media lend themselves to quicker and more realistic digital reproduction, we are witnessing the following chronological continuum:

Motion --> Sculpture --> Books --> Movies --> Music --> Painting

While the copying of paintings was one of the first copyright scares, current distribution has reached a status quo which provides a fair, convenient, and acceptable mode of purchase. The music industry has yet to reach this stable state. The movie industry is only beginning to experience the scare and panic of uncontrolled copying. The book industry has yet to offer a truly desirable mode of digital book which can compete with the original. Publishers are experimenting in relatively tepid waters. Meanwhile, the media of sculpture and motion capture seem so futuristic that more thought is given to the viability of such technology rather than potential ethical dilemmas.

No matter where an artform lies on the continuum from incipient to heated to stable, it is clear that new technology will push the limits of our common intuitions conerning ethical behaviour. Each medium may look to its continuum neighbours as an indication of where it has been and where it is headed. As artists, art enthusiasts, computer programmers, or simply members of the digital age, it is important to develop active and informed opinions concerning the importance of both protection and freedom for all parties concerned.

art rocks.
fin.


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Last modified: Mon Jun 5 06:34:55 PDT 2000