Twitter joke thieves are getting DMCA takedowns

boing
12

Ugh, I have had this disagreement with friends that are comics, actors, musicians, artists…

There is a limited legal construct that allows you, in certain cases, to have a monopoly on culture. It doesnt belong to you, it is borrowed. Every joke, song, sonnet, painting has already been done.

I am an artist, I know this first hand.

Furthermore, get used to these facts:

  • you write a joke and someone else pulls it off better, because training/luck/rich parents, you aren’t a comic. You are a writer.

  • someone plays a tune you wrote better than you? You are a composer, not a musician.

  • you can pull off a recipe by ferran Adria better than he can? Great, you are an expert sous chef or line cook.

And to be clear:

There is nothing wrong with that!!

. But the sooner you realize you borrow culture and don’t own it, the happier you will be. And the sooner you realize you are not special, and what you create is not unique, you will explode with joy.
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