The concepts of copyright, fair use and Creative Commons spark heated debates, as society

attempts to set boundaries to the use of creative works of art. For clarity, the topic addresses all
types of creative work, which include photographs, multimedia content, videos, visual
representations and literary content such as essays, poems, spoken word and manuscripts.
It is against this background that the Prince vs Cariou case is based. The major concern was
the issue of fair use. Specifically, for this case, it was the ability of persons to use the
principles of fair use as a means to utilise the artistic work of others, without the need to
recognise or compensate the original artist. For the photographic community, the concern lay in
the reproduction, reuse and rework of their material without the need to recognise or
compensate the original creator. The artistic community, on the other hand, felt this would stifle
the creative expression of its members. It is my opinion that the original artist should be
recognised and compensated for their original piece. Inspiration can be drawn from various
places, and it is the responsibility of the artist to recognise these sources. This is especially true
where the reproduced work is similar to the original. For example, in the creation of Game of
Thrones, author George R. R. Martin may have drawn upon the Tolkien method in creating his
storyline and characters. However, there is no direct Tolkien character from Lord of the Rings in
Martins Game of Thrones. Martin has recognised Tolkien as an inspiration, but the issue of
compensation is moot, since there are no identical characters. In the case of Prince vs Cariou,
the Carious photographs were altered by Prince and distributed for profit. In this case, my
opinion is the recognition of Cariou by Prince was required. From the inspiration perspective, I
dont believe it will be stifled. I believe recognition of the original creator allows the re-creator to
acknowledge the source of inspiration.
Remix culture, or read-write culture, describes the use of others works of art and transforming
them into newer art works. In todays society it is used as another form of expression in critique
or commentary of issues, trends and topics in the world. According to Burwell (2013), it is
necessary to describe, discuss and critically reflect on media. Further, she states it is
necessary to encourage and promote discussions on representation, appropriation, creativity
and intellectual property. This allows young people to better understand the society we reside
in. She suggests schools should explore more remixes posted online and encourage
discussions on its critique of the original work, as well as why it was required. Essentially, she
advise is to explore and discuss remixes as a new form of commentary and expression. I agree
with Burwell as provides a means to gives an opinion on any topic, in a creative manner. Such
that a critique of political rhetoric can use actual live comments, instead of written text. It has a
place in post-secondary education, as a means to understand the concerns and challenges of
society in a new and creative manner.