Heres an important essay on a neglected but critical element of freedom of speech: the authors independence, including financial independence. In our current digital fetishism of free—freedom to loot intellectual property, which in practice means giving all the financial rewards to titanic tech corporations and little or none to creators—weve forgotten that the purpose of copyright is to foster the creation of *new* art and knowledge by guaranteeing to the creators the rewards of their work. In Americas affluent, complacent society, we look down on authors and artists of all kinds for being concerned with money (which for most of us means covering next months rent or mortgage payment, not getting rich). But financial independence is a critical part of artistic independence. Large institutions, let alone government, put pressure on their employees and beneficiaries; they create demands and impose expectations. Being able to sustain yourself as an independent voice is critical to our work, and our culture. This essay from Turkish writer Kaya Genç is a reminder from a less complacent society that it is critical that we protect that independence.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 17:34:40 +0000
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