Intellectual property is a curious beast. On one hand, artists need ways to protect their work so that they can earn a living; on the other hand, art inspires and informs culture: the very same limitations that protect artists also stifle their creativity. Constantly-shifting laws and business aspirations by media owners make it even more difficult to achieve a balanced and equitable solution.

The Marilyn Manifesto explores the issue of copyright in the era of social media, blogs, remixes and mashups. It emerged from my quest to legally secure permission to use a photo of Marilyn Monroe from the 1959 comedy classic Some Like it Hot on my website. My adventure transpired over two months and landed me at the intersection of copyright law, artist rights and freedom of speech.

This is not a protest or an attempt to challenge law. It is simply an observation.

{08 August 2010}