Running Head: Theorizing Copyleft

Theorizing the Copyleft Movement: A Mini-Play

ETEC 511: Foundations of Educational Technology
University of British Columbia

Kimberly Wagner

Submitted To: Dr. Alam Matiul

October 12, 2012

Running Head: Theorizing Copyleft

A Fish is Born

Dramatis Personae
Major Characters:
Narrator:

Swordfish

Copyright:

Large Black Octopus

Copyleft:

Small Bright Jellyfish

Fish Teacher:

Scholarly Looking Fish

Minor Characters:
First Fish, Second Fish, Third Fish, Fourth Fish, and Fifth Fish
First Student, Second Student, Third Student, Fourth Student, and Fifth Student

Running Head: Theorizing Copyleft

Prologue
Lights fall and the Narrators voice is heard from the stage.
Narrator:

Music, books, films, art, and dance are considered intellectual property which is
governed by copyright laws. The British Statute of Anne of 1710 was quite simple
to protect the printing of books, but the current laws in first world countries have
become complicated, contentious, and controversial. They have become a
mechanism to protect the wealth of corporations rather than for the
encouragement of learning.

Scene 1 Squish the Fish

The light fades in to reveal a large, fat, black octopus creature center stage. Its smirking
deviously as it swings it tentacles hitting some of the small colourful fish who attempting
to sing and dance across the stage in unison. He misses most, but inflicts damage on
some.
Copyright:

Stop, you insignificant fish! You cant sing that song or dance that dance. It
belongs to me. Ive swam in this ocean for countless years and collected the
songs and the dances of the ocean creatures. They are all mine now.

First Fish:

Stops and faces the giant creature and speaks with boldness. You cannot own
the songs and dances of the ocean. We all have notes in our gills and dance in
our fins. We are creatures of creativity!

Copyright:

Grabs the bold fish with a tentacle and squeezes it around the gills. You do not
get to have a voice unless I say you do.

First Fish tries to speak but cannot. He swims ruined off the stage.
Copyright:

Sneering at all remaining fish. You must give me an offering to use my songs. If
you do not fill my dish, I will randomly squish offending fish.

Light fades to darkness as the octopus laughs nastily.

Running Head: Theorizing Copyleft

Scene 2 Mysterious Birth

Narrators voice is heard from stage.
Narrator:

North American media conglomerates want to keep their wealth, and they will
make an example of those who download their property without paying for it.
Artists used to borrow from other artists to create new art, but now thats not
allowed. Fair use is really not fair at all to the average citizen. This system
created by those with wealth is stifling artistic creativity.

Numerous fish are swimming around the stage randomly in silence. Some still venture to
sing and dance, but they are constantly watchful to prevent getting caught. Most fish are
grey instead of colourful because they have lost their joy. A light starts to grow off stage
left and the fish begin to gather facing the light. The light continues to grow as digital
music grows in volume with the brightening of the light. The fish change from grey to
their original colourful selves. They gather in wonder around the sparkling jellyfish that
continues to cast light and beauty.
Second Fish:

How had this beautiful creature been born where there was once
nothing?

Third Fish:

It is a miracle and a sign!

Fourth Fish:

This beauteous vision will save us from the tyranny of the dark menace.

The majestic glowing jellyfish begins to speak.

Copyleft:

I am Copyleft. I have come to restore fairness so that you all may sing
and dance without retribution.

Second Fish:

How is this possible? Copyright has ruled this part of the ocean for what
seems like an eternity. It is the law.

All fish nod, showing agreement.

Running Head: Theorizing Copyleft

Copyleft:

Do not fear little fish. I have the power to shrink the evil in the dark
tentacled creature. It will no longer have the power to squish fish. My
sting will sap its savage strength.

All Fish:

In unison they begin to sing again.

Hip! Hip! Hurrah!
From oppressive Copyright we will be free;
Copyleft has written a new decree:
The all rights reserved de-evolution
Will become the Creative Commons solution.

Stage flashes to darkness.

Scene 3 Revolution
Narrators voice is heard.
Narrator:

The Copyleft movement grew out of writing open source computer

languages, but it grew in spirit and eventually extended to all types of
intellectual property which now include digitized products of text, sound,
and image. The battle between Copyright and Copyleft continues

Lights gradually rise to reveal the jellyfish on the left side of the stage facing the octopus
who is on the right.
Copyleft:

I cannot make you give back what you have stolen from the population,
but I can keep you from taking our creativity. We will create and freely
share through open licensing.

Copyright:

Swims at the jellyfish in a rage. I will tear you apart, you insignificant
amoeba.

Running Head: Theorizing Copyleft

Copyleft:

Delivers a mid-size shock to the black octopus who is thrown back to the
right side. You have no power over what we have created.

Copyright, still in a rage, tries to rush the jellyfish again, but gets an even larger shock
that knocks him even further to the right.
Our songs and dances are our own now, and you cannot profit from them.
Copyright:

Mark my word. This is not the end! Ill be back with my octopus friends.

Copyright storms out stage right door. Fish start coming out of hiding places all over the
stage, surrounding the jellyfish and showing excitement.
Scene ends with a new joyful song and dance.
Scene 4 The Schools New Education
The scene begins with the teacher and student fish watching a students music video
about the tyranny of the octopus and being saved by the small but powerful jellyfish. The
film ends, the students clap their fins, and the lights are turned on.
Teacher Fish:

Excellent work class. What have you learned from completing these
projects?

First Student:

Video editing and music mixing.

Second Student:

Working together.

Third Student:

I have learned that I can be a creator too!

Fourth Student:

A little fish can have power to fight back against the bad octopus.

Fifth Student:

I learned that I also have something to say.

Teacher Fish:

Even though it seems like a little fish has no power to change society,
there are creative ways to oppose the established rule.

The students cheer as the light flashes once and the stage goes dark.

Running Head: Theorizing Copyleft

Epilogue
A single light grows to reveal the Narrator. Hes a swordfish who has been sitting in the
shadows for the whole play. He speaks to the audience.
Narrator:

The vast control held by corporations who have lobbied governments for stricter
copyright laws to maintain their wealth is not in the spirit of the first copyright laws
that were to promote creativity and protect the individual artist. Copyleft is a new
way of licensing that promotes innovation, creativity and sharing.

The light becomes brighter and brighter blinding the audience and then flashes to
darkness in unison with dramatic climactic music.

The End

Running Head: Theorizing Copyleft

8
Rationale

This mini-play is to metaphorically represent the idea that the Copyleft grew out of the open
source software movement and is currently challenging existing Copyright laws that are primarily a
mechanism of media conglomerates to keep their wealth. The narrator is in hiding for the play because
he wants to tell his story, but he does not want to become a target of the octopus, Copyright, who
represents the media moguls. Like these companies, he is massive, strong, and intimidating; he lashes
out at the fish and randomly makes an example of themin the same way that the music companies
prosecuted some American citizens who had downloaded music. The fish are nameless as they
represent the general population, but they were colourful to represent their creativity; however, the
octopus claims he owns everythinglike the companies who voraciously claim any intellectual property.
The fish lose their colour when they stop trying to be creative, but a miracle occurs when the
small, but vibrant, jellyfish, Copyleft, is born out of nothing in the darkness and his warm light generates
the urge to create. The Copyleft movement was a seed of an idea that has grown exponentially from
open source software to all types of intellectual property . Copyleft confronting Copyright relates to how
Copyleft is currently challenging the old way of doing things; it cannot destroy Copyright, but it can
certainly challenge it. It has the power to shock the system. Copyright advocates, however, will
continue to wield power and attempt to maintain their vast ownership holding; thus Copyright vows he
will return with his friends.
Finally, the school scene is meant to highlight the positive new focus that is currently developing
that instead of focusing on what we cannot use because its permissions are all rights reserved,
students should see themselves as creators. They can create their own intellectual property and license
it under a Creative Commons license. They can learn about Copyright and Copyleft through practice. The
message of the mini-play: the little fish do have the power to question the politics and ethics of our
current system.

Running Head: Theorizing Copyleft

9
Bibliography

A Brief Introduction and History. (n.d.). Retrieved from United States Copyright Office:
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1a.html
Berry, D. M. (2008). Copy, Rip, Burn: The Politics of Copyleft and Open Source. London, GBR: Pluto Press.
Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42). (n.d.). Retrieved from Department of Justice Canada: http://lawslois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-42/index.html
Gaylor, B. (Director). (2008). Rip! A Remix Manifesto [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from
http://www.nfb.ca/film/rip_a_remix_manifesto
George, H. P. (2002). What is right about a copyleft? Information Today, 19(4), 22-24.
Gross, A. K. (2007). Codifying a Commons: Copyright, Copyleft, and the Creative Commons Project.
Chicago-Kent Law Review, 82(2), 963-996.
History. (n.d.). Retrieved from Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/about/history
Lessig, L. (2001). Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World. Westminister, MD,
USA: Random House, Inc.
Makarenko, J. (2009, March 13). Copyright Law in Canada: Introduction to the Canadian Copyright Act.
Retrieved from Mapleleafweb: http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/copyright-law-canadaintroduction-canadian-copyright-act#history
Statute of Anne, London (1710). (n.d.). Retrieved from Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900):
http://copy.law.cam.ac.uk/cam/tools/request/showRecord.php?id=record_uk_1710
The Copyright Modernization Act. (n.d.). Retrieved from Balanced Copyright:
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/crp-prda.nsf/eng/home
What is Copyleft? (n.d.). Retrieved from GNU Operating System: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/