“We live in a remix culture, get over it!”

In a session titled Copyfight at the Sydney Writers Festival, a panel of writers and commentators canvassed copyright issues in the modern media environment. 

“If you want to succeed in this realm you can’t just be morally right… you’re already morally right to ask peopel to pay, that argument’s over… you have to make it easier for people to do the rlegal thing so you can get paid. If you, as an industry are not doing that, you’re an idiot,” said Mark Fennell during the panel session.

Fennell now listens to music on his smart phone using Spotify, because it makes it easy for him to get the songs he wants and to pay for them legally. “Suddenly it became easier to pay for music than not to,” he said.

“What happens in music signals what is going to happen in the industries we work in,” said session chair Phillipa McGuinness, who tackled the question: “Does this leave writers, designers, filmmakers, musicians, photographers, artists and games developers with any rights at all?

The panel included author Linda Jaivin, Co-creator of ABC TV’s Rake Peter Duncan, Copyfight Book editor Phillipa McGuinness and RN host Marc Fennell. The feisty show is worth a listen. Hear it below or go to the RN program page to download it.