You are hereIntellectual Property, Open Content and the Viability of Caribbean Culture
Intellectual Property, Open Content and the Viability of Caribbean Culture
I recently shared with a Librarian friend my comments from last week on the Universal Right to Access Knowledge, getting from her some interesting and thoughtful insight from a Librarian and conventional Content Manager's point of view.
Beyond the analogies among the Internet content providers and the conventional libraries, our conversation quickly turned to the issue of Intellectual Property as key to business development, sustainability of content generation and the promotion of innovation. From there, the discussion ended up focusing on the viability of open content and the apparent need for Intellectual Property to guarantee sustainability both for business endeavors and for cultural content generation, distribution and preservation.
Of course, you may have guessed that I disagreed with the former assumptions.
I know I have bombarded you recently with long posts, so I'll keep this short and just present you with a couple of questions and invite you to answer them and comment on the issue, for I think it's important for us.
Is Caribbean Culture and Content viable in a global economy and does Intellectual Property actually work to our advantage as a region or against us? Can we compete against or at least deal with the huge industries that drive content, trends and consumption patterns or will we be absorbed by them?
Slurp - it just happened if you didn't notice. Yes, I know it's not fair to ask a question and hint towards an answer, but less than a year ago, music giant MTV launched Tempo, a music TV channel "built around music, and (be) dedicated to all things Caribbean: music, food, travel, sports, culture and more". I won't even ask if you have had a chance to watch it, for it's played on all bars, pubs and public places in the islands... But I will invite you to read the statements made by MTV during the project's public announcement, as quoted by Caribbean Net News:
* By the way, a couple of months ago there was an interesting article published on one of Trinidad's major newspapers lamenting the disappointment on Tempo's delivery of its Caribbean culture centric promise. Since I am sort of making the same argument, I think it's fair to mention it, although I don't recall the newspaper or the author.
Is Caribbean Culture and Content viable in a global economy and does Intellectual Property actually work to our advantage as a region or against us? Can we compete against or at least deal with the huge industries that drive content, trends and consumption patterns or will we be absorbed by them?
Slurp - it just happened if you didn't notice. Yes, I know it's not fair to ask a question and hint towards an answer, but less than a year ago, music giant MTV launched Tempo, a music TV channel "built around music, and (be) dedicated to all things Caribbean: music, food, travel, sports, culture and more". I won't even ask if you have had a chance to watch it, for it's played on all bars, pubs and public places in the islands... But I will invite you to read the statements made by MTV during the project's public announcement, as quoted by Caribbean Net News:
Now you go watch some Tempo and tell me if you saw any of the above. Besides ladies shaking it and male performers doing their thing, I have yet to see anything truly Caribbean in Tempo(*)... Go to their website: http://www.gottempo.com and tell me if you see anything Caribbean there. Other than regional pop performers and some canned news collected via RSS from international dispatches, there is nothing, zip, zilch, nada, nothung Caribbean there. But wait, it's even worse... Search for Tempo or Caribbean on MTV's website and the channel is not mentioned anywhere. http://www.mtv.com/search/index.jhtml?searchterm=CARIBBEAN+TEMPO&searchtype=all You think it's because of all the recent content, limit your search to News: http://www.mtv.com/search/index.jhtml?searchterm=CARIBBEAN+TEMPO&searchtype=text Still no mention of the magnificent "bridge to this culturally rich and trendsetting community". You can even google it if you want. http://www.google.tt/search?q=site%3AMTV.com+Caribbean+Tempo http://www.google.tt/search?q=Caribbean+Tempo+Music+Channel You see, for MTV.com we are just a bunch of consumers and all they are looking for is a "channel" to sell advertising to us. There is no interest in "all things Caribbean: music, food, travel, sports, culture and more" and there is no "passion for this region and its culture". I know you didn't buy that for even a second when you read it above. There is no need to make theories on the prospects for Caribbean culture in the global economy. We can see the results for ourselves today. The culture that is about "shaking it" has some place guaranteed as long as it serves as a condom to deliver us the pleasures of global culture without us noticing. While the rest of our culture does not stand a chance. Isn't that reason enough for us to go open content and start seriously discussing and working on the need of making Caribbean content and culture freely available to everyone, without it necessarily being chained to the cash-ing sound of global corporations and markets? I would love to hear everyone's thoughts, ideas, questions and criticism on this matter."MTV Networks is committed to identifying underserved communities and creating the most innovative, exciting and authentic channels for them, and with them," said Judy McGrath, Chairman and CEO, MTV Networks. "Tempo will be built around music, and be dedicated to all things Caribbean: music, food, travel, sports, culture and more. And, I am very grateful to MTV Networks' Frederick Morton, who with his passion for this region and its culture, nurtured this idea and spearheaded the development of the network." "Caribbean people are a melting pot of nationalities bound together by a shared history and a strong sense of regional pride. They have a passion for living life which shines through every aspect of the culture, making them and the region compelling to advertisers, visitors and other consumers of Caribbean culture," said Frederick Morton, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of MTV Networks, who is developing the network. "Tempo will be the bridge to this culturally rich and trendsetting community. As a native son of the Caribbean, I am thrilled to be at the forefront of developing what will soon become the ultimate source of all things Caribbean, the ambassador of a dynamic people, a magnetic culture and an undeniably breathtaking destination." "As Tempo represents a positive cultural influence for all people of the Caribbean, we are proud to announce a creative partnership with a true ambassador of the Caribbean, Wyclef Jean. We will work with him to develop some original series and documentaries, and look for his expertise to help shape the musical taste and tone of the network. Wyclef's business acumen and creative talent will be a tremendous asset to Tempo, we're proud to have him on board," said Morton. http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/2005/06/01/network.shtml
* By the way, a couple of months ago there was an interesting article published on one of Trinidad's major newspapers lamenting the disappointment on Tempo's delivery of its Caribbean culture centric promise. Since I am sort of making the same argument, I think it's fair to mention it, although I don't recall the newspaper or the author.
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