Great how-to video from the masters over at Common Craft for folks new to photo sharing:

Technorati Tags: how-to, flickr, photosharing, commoncraft

I’ve limited myself to commenting on others’ blogs during the Lane Hartwell dustup, but the newest installment has me a little confused and concerned, because it now has been taken beyond the authorized use of another person’s image and put squarely into the realm of not-for-profit organizations, which I serve as a volunteer.

Rather than recap the issues, I suggest reading Shelley Powers’ and Mathew Ingram’s thoughts on the issue. It’s also worth reading the players’ posts — Here is the most recent Richter Scales post on the matter, and Lane Hartwell’s, the photographer who protested the use of her image in the first version of this video.

According to the Richter Scales, they are a not-for-profit organization. I don’t know if that means they are a real non-profit organization with an exemption under the rules in the Internal Revenue Code, or whether they are a group who wants to be profitable but isn’t profitable at this time. They do have a CD for sale, which they note sold 8 copies during the 1 million-plus initial run of the first video. They sell their downloadable music on iTunes and CD Baby, and offer their CD for sale for a modest price via Paypal or Google Checkout. I don’t see any ads on their site or other obvious money-making efforts on their part.

Either way, it seems obvious that these are a bunch of guys who like singing, like parody, have some talent with both, and made a video to demonstrate their talents, chose the unfortunate path of using Flickr images which were not licensed for re-use, and got themselves a whole lot of publicity and a whole lot of trouble, which they have taken pains to try and remedy by re-making the video with a photographer credit page and removing the image which belonged to Lane Hartwell.

Enough history. The problem now is that it appears to me that Lane Hartwell is implacable. She writes:

In the end, the band opted not to work with me toward a fair resolution of the issue. I have to say that I’m very disappointed with the members of the band I negotiated with in good faith.

She goes on to expand upon what “working toward a fair resolution” means; namely, that the group pay her invoice for use of the image in the initial run, so that she can pay her lawyer and donate the rest.

In my opinion, Lane Hartwell is dropping an atom bomb where a simple fly swatter would have sufficed. If she were aiming at a large, profitable enterprise, I would have less of a problem with her position. But these folks don’t have any money and are essentially being punished for the transgressions of other, nameless people in the past who have misused her images, presumably for commercial ventures.

At $15/CD, I think the assertion that this group is a “commercial” group is misstated and misguided. Co-opting others who had images in that video to also claim a right to compensation seems out of proportion to the transgression.

Of course, if Ms. Hartwell wants a fair share of the $120 (that’s gross income, not profit, which is probably more like 30 cents) they made from the CD during the run, I’m sure it would add up to about $.20, which will pay for about 10 seconds of her attorney’s time. Squeezing blood out of some turnips seems somewhat intractable and mean.

The lesson for all of us is clear: Use images which you’re licensed to use and give credit, ask permission, be wise. At the same time, I could say there’s a lesson that is unlearned but should be learned by the copyright holders, too. Make examples out of the big boys; not the ones who meant you no harm, didn’t profit from the use of your content, and tried to accommodate you as best they could.

This video came through my feeds last night via Robert Scoble’s shared items in Google Reader. I think Lessig is a genius anyway, and this video just proves it, and inspires at the same time.

Thanks to heathervescent for posting it.

Technorati Tags: copyright, fair use, Richter Scales, Lane Hartwell, photo sharing, creative commons

This was me in 1968. The preppiness of the outfit hides my inner hippie. Watching Tom Brokaw’s “1968″ on the History Channel after reading “Boom!” has been a trip down memory lane. If you missed it, do whatever you can to catch it on a rerun — it was excellent.

I watched it with DG tonight, and it wasn’t until we came to the assassination of RFK that she processed the fact that I had been alive in this era, and that I’d been involved, even as young as I was. My mom was at the hotel the night RFK was assassinated and I was staying up late to watch the news coverage because there was a chance I might actually see her. DG was horrified at the idea that her grandmother was there that night, and that her mom saw the events in real time. Her comment: “What a sad time to be alive.”

And you know, I suppose it was, though I don’t recall it that way. Looking back on a decade that saw the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, yes, it was a sad time. And yet, it was also vibrant and alive. Emotions ran high as the civil rights movement converged with the anti-war movement, but there was an enormous amount of passion and idealism afoot. My answer to her was yes, it was a sad time, but very much a time of commitment and change, unlike what I see today, which is an almost-defeated acceptance of what is, no matter how repugnant. Apathy has been substituted for passion. If I could recapture just a little bit of the mood of that time (without the drugs, actually…the drugs were never my thing) and join a movement of young people committed to re-centering values away from war and violence and back toward some of the idealism of that era, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Tom Brokaw has done a great job of capturing the mood, events, and magic of that time. Really, don’t miss it if you get the chance to see it.

Technorati Tags: Tom Brokaw, Boom!, 1968, HIstory Channel

This is hilarious. Great video from The Richter Scales. Please be forewarned: Do not have any coffee, soda, water or other liquid in your mouth when you watch it.

Technorati Tags: the richter scales, web 2.0, web economy, bubble, tech

Via Lee LeFever

Technorati Tags: video, sharpie, art, Field Music

Mick St. John can bite me any time. So can Alex O’Loughlin. It’s not often that I’m a TV star groupie, but it’s fate, after all. His birthday is the same as mine (and Sticks!) and he clearly descends from Irish rogues (born in Australia…).

Apart from lusting after Mick, I really do love the way the writers are approaching the character, his struggle with being a vampire while yearning to be human, and his obvious smoking attraction to Sophia Miles who manages to burn the screen with that gaze when she’s feeling just a little bit jealous. The voice-overs are especially fun, as are the tossed-off pieces of his conversations about being a vampire.

I really hope they settle the writers’ strike soon, because it would be too mean to get much farther into this series — the one new series I really like this season — and then leave it hanging. Literally.

Speaking of the writers’ strike, don’t miss Donna’s insider posts here and here. There really is a lot at stake, and mostly for the writers who don’t land the big high-profile gigs, but are just making enough to keep their careers alive and food on the table. Would it really be so bad for the Big Six (see this PDF to see exactly how deeply MSM is pwned) to sacrifice those pennies to people with incredible talent who have earned the right to share some of the wealth?

Selfishly, I’d much rather watch Mick and Beth smolder than any stupid reality show. Reality bites. Mick bites too, but he’s more fun to watch.

Technorati Tags: CBS, writers’ strike, Moonlight, vampires, nablopomo

It’s like this every night. Imagine the fun we have.

Thanks, Autopia!

I had a Renault LeCar back in the 80’s. It was like driving a roller skate, especially when the top was open. I’m certain I wouldn’t have wanted to test it in these conditions, however.

Technorati Tags: cars, renault, safety