Jonathan Lethem’s “The ecstasy of influence: A plagiarism” is a fascinating read. He makes a very compelling argument that art should be shared freely, and that the first copyright laws were only enacted to encourage development, not to permanently keep works out of others hands or mouths. By bringing artists such as Shakespeare and brand-named like Band-Aid into his argument, he makes it seem like no one would be harmed if plagiarism were to be allowed. The only problem is, that I don’t buy it.
It seems ironic to me that a writer for one of the longest standing newspapers is the one writing on plagiarism. A man, who presumably was paid in advance, is writing about how art should be free, for a news source that is bought on newsstands. While Lethem is paid upfront for his work, the very artists who he wishes to strip of their rights are not. Lethem argues that copying a movie is not the same as steeling a handbag, because he is not depriving anyone of their right to the movie. He is wrong though. He is depriving the money owed to the people who paid tons of money upfront to produce the film. They do not get paid unless people pay to see their film. If he wants to see the film, he should give these artists their dues.
I am the daughter of a computer engineer. My father and the various companies he has worked for, spend a lot of time and money upfront to produce computer software. If this software is copied instead of bought, as it should be, then my father and his companies will have lost years of work and thousands of dollars. They are real people who produce things that are copyrighted. Without these copyrights, my father would not have produced new technology. He would find a job that pays him for his work.
While I agree with Lethem on some of his finer points, like that improvements on old ideas are creative forms of plagiarism, and that copyright laws have been extended beyond their original intentions, I cannot agree with his general sentiment. Call me old school, but if you borrow someone else’s idea, I believe they should get credit for it.