The Arts Project

The ARTS PROJECT analyzes the effects of intellectual property on cultural production, and is supported by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.

Comic Books
Center releases "Bound By Law," a comic book exploring the impacts of intellectual property on creativity - specifically, documentary film. Read the book!

Translate the comic!
Download text-free versions of the "Bound By Law" comic for translation.

Leia a tradução portuguesa [Read the Portuguese translation].

Moving Image Contest
Center announces winners of its Arts Project Moving Image Contest, which asked for short films exploring the impacts of intellectual property law on creativity (view winning films) (view finalists)

IP and Documentary Film
What types of the hurdles are faced by documentary filmmakers in trying to clear rights? What are some possible ways to solve these problems? Find answers to these questions on our explanatory chart of rights clearance problems and solutions.

Copyright Office
Center submits proposals to the Copyright Office on Access to Orphan Works and Orphan Films. Orphan Works probably comprise the majority of the record of 20th century culture: works still presumably under copyright, where the owner cannot be found. (more)

Short movies

To Clear or not to Clear Filmmaker Chris Hegedus discusses how rights clearance practices have changed since the making of “Don’t Look Back”

Disappearing History? Filmmaker Orlando Bagwell talks about making “Citizen King” and why “Eyes on the Prize” is no longer in circulation

Great Composers Steal Composer Anthony Kelley visits classical and jazz traditions and explains why you can find a doppelganger for almost any tune

Documentary Filmmaking   (MPEG version)
Legal experts James Boyle and John Sloss discuss the legal and practical realities facing documentary filmmakers, including copyright law and errors and omissions insurance

Music Sampling (MPEG version)
Music lawyer Whitney Broussard describes how law can change the kind of music that gets made, and how clearance processes can make the whole artistic community poorer

*These short movies are licensed under Creative Commons Licenses. Please note that these are only excerpts from a panel discussion at a conference and not legal advice.
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Profiles

• Splendid Thievery Jordi Weinstock interviews composer Anthony Kelley about traditions of borrowing in music
  
  

Arts and Culture

Read more about our work in this area