Freedom of Expression (McLeod book)
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''Freedom of Expression®'' is a book written by
Kembrew McLeod Kembrew McLeod is an American artist, activist, and professor of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa. He is best known as a performance artist or "media prankster" who filed an application in 1997 to register the phrase "Freedom of ...
about freedom of speech issues involving concepts of intellectual property. The book was first published in 2005 by Doubleday as ''Freedom of Expression®: Overzealous Copyright Bozos and Other Enemies of Creativity'', and in 2007 by University of Minnesota Press as ''Freedom of Expression®: Resistance and Repression in the Age of Intellectual Property''. The paperback edition includes a foreword by Lawrence Lessig. The author recounts a history of the use of counter-cultural artistry, illegal art, and the use of copyrighted works in art as a form of fair use and creative expression. The book encourages the reader to continue such uses in art and other forms of creative expression. The book received a positive reception and the Intellectual Freedom Round Table of the American Library Association awarded McLeod with the
Eli M. Oboler Eli Martin Oboler (September 26, 1915 – June 15, 1983) was an American librarian who worked as the longtime librarian at the Idaho State University library, later renamed the Eli M. Oboler Library, from 1949 to 1980. He was also a member of th ...
Memorial Award, which honors the "best published work in the area of intellectual freedom". A review in '' The American Scholar'' said that McLeod " ... delivers a lively, personal account of the ways intellectual property messes with people—and how he messes with intellectual property." '' American Book Review'' said the work is "a clever compendium of examples" for those familiar with its subject matter. The ''
Journal of Popular Culture ''The Journal of Popular Culture'' (''JPC'') is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes academic essays on all aspects of popular or mass culture. It is published six times a year, printed by Wiley-Blackwell. As of Summer 2022, the editor ...
'' called it "an informative, thought-provoking, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny examination of specific ways the privatization of ideas suppresses creativity in contemporary culture." '' Publishers Weekly'' said that McLeod's views echo prior comments about intellectual property by academicsincluding Lessig.


Background

McLeod first published the book as a compilation of writings in magazine format. ''Freedom of Expression'' was first published in book form in 2005 by Doubleday as ''Freedom of Expression®: Overzealous Copyright Bozos and Other Enemies of Creativity'', and in 2007 by University of Minnesota Press as ''Freedom of Expression®: Resistance and Repression in the Age of Intellectual Property''. The 2005 edition of the book was made freely available via a
Creative Commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...
license. The Media Education Foundation released a DVD documentary film ytyhrtyreyeyeyn 2007 featuring McLeod, Jeremy Smith, Sut Jhally, and Jeremy Earp. The documentary was narrated by Naomi Klein and included interviews with Lessig, Siva Vaidhyanathana University of Virginia academic in media studies; Inga Chernyaka co-founder of Free Culture at New York University, and Mark Hosler of Negativland.


Contents

In ''Freedom of Expression®'', Kembrew McLeod discusses the concept of freedom of expression regarding cultural norms and the manner in which society allows corporations to influence discourse. McLeod discusses his own pranks, such as his 1998 registration of the phrase "freedom of expression" as a trademark. In 1998, he registered the phrase "Freedom of Expression" as a trademark in the United States, and said he would initiate a lawsuit against individuals who subsequently used this phrase without his permission. McLeod said, "If the ACLU wanted to put out a magazine with hetitle ''Freedom of Expression'', they would have to pay me royalties." After the telecommunications company AT&T used the phrase during a marketing campaign, McLeod's attorney sent a cease and desist letter to request that AT&T stop using his trademarked phrase. In his book ''Owning Culture: Authorship, Ownership, and Intellectual Property Law'', McLeod said that his intention with the registration of "Freedom of Expression" was to initiate social commentary in the media, saying, "I would let the news story itself be the social commentary." The trademarked phrase subsequently fell back into the public domain. McLeod also discusses the history of counter-cultural artistry, recounting episodes such as Dadaist art styles and an incident in which Vanna White initiated a lawsuit against a robot likeness for copyright infringement. He explores the concept of fair use and encourages the reader to use copyrighted works in alternative forms of artwork. He also gives a history of the song " Happy Birthday to You", information about the music industry's use of sampling, and discusses illegal art. McLeod said that the threat of a lawsuit from a company is not necessarily an indication of actual criminal activity, and these threats against artistry and creativity can be overcome through determination.


Reception

In 2006, the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT)a committee of the American Library Association (ALA)awarded McLeod the
Eli M. Oboler Eli Martin Oboler (September 26, 1915 – June 15, 1983) was an American librarian who worked as the longtime librarian at the Idaho State University library, later renamed the Eli M. Oboler Library, from 1949 to 1980. He was also a member of th ...
Memorial Award, which recognizes the "best published work in the area of intellectual freedom." In a press release statement upon presenting McLeod with the award, Committee Chair Fred Stielow commented, "McLeod captures the growing switch from a balanced compromise between the creator's rights and public access. In its place, the author wittily exposes a stifling shift of copyright law into an instrument of commercial interests." McLeod was the only recipient of the Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award in 2006. In a review of the book for '' The American Scholar'', Siva Vaidhyanathan of New York University wrote that MacLeod " ... delivers a lively, personal account of the ways intellectual property messes with people—and how he messes with intellectual property", and that, "McLeod is ironic and witty, writing with a hip-hop-influenced youth-savvy diction that demonstrates his confidence and engagement with the material and the culture that means so much to him."
Davis Schneiderman Davis Schneiderman (born 1974) is an American writer, academic, and higher-education administrator. He is a professor of English and Krebs Provost and Dean of the Faculty at Lake Forest College in Illinois. Prior to that appointment, he served as ...
wrote positively of the work in a review for '' American Book Review'', comparing it to similar works on the subject matter, including ''No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies'' (2000) by Naomi Klein, and writings of
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...
and Al Franken. A review by Eric Anderson of Bowling Green State University in the ''
Journal of Popular Culture ''The Journal of Popular Culture'' (''JPC'') is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes academic essays on all aspects of popular or mass culture. It is published six times a year, printed by Wiley-Blackwell. As of Summer 2022, the editor ...
'' praised the author's use of interviews throughout the book, writing that it " ... shines with McLeod's broad use of interviews ...  erecords and reports the voices of creative people who have been encumbered by the contemporary intellectual property regime. The incorporation of these interviews, demonstrating as they do specific examples of creativity obstructed in specific ways, is this book's most important contribution." Anderson said the book is "an informative, thought-provoking, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny examination of specific ways the privatization of ideas suppresses creativity in contemporary culture." Anderson mentions McLeod's and the book's publisher's uncommon tactic of making the book freely available via a
Creative Commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...
license. '' Publishers Weekly'' reviewed the book and compared McLeod's tactic of following his trademarked phrase with "®" as a satire of Fox Network's registration of the phrase "
fair and balanced The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative cable television, cable List of news televisi ...
" as a trademark. The reviewer wrote, "While McLeod's arguments aren't original, his entertaining examples and punchy writing nicely amplify the concerns voiced by an increasing number of intellectual property scholars, such as Lawrence Lessig." The reviewer said of the author's tone, "Although he evokes dark, almost Orwellian images throughout, McLeod manages an upbeat spin, citing the 'egalitarian' nature of the new technologies and a growing awareness of the need to return to a place where 'freedom of expression' is once again 'a meaningful concept that guides our political, social and creative lives.'"


See also

* Censorship * Censorship in the United States * Free content *
Freedom of speech by country Freedom of speech is the concept of the inherent human right to voice one's opinion publicly without fear of government censorship or punishment. "Speech" is not limited to public speaking and is generally taken to include other forms of express ...
* Freedom of speech in the United States *
Freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...
*
International Freedom of Expression Exchange IFEX, formerly International Freedom of Expression Exchange, is a global network of 124 independent non-governmental organisations that work at a local, national, regional, or international level to defend and promote freedom of expression as a ...
* WikiLeaks


References


Further reading

;Book reviews * ;Related * * * * *


External links


Kembrew.com
Author's homepage
Freedom of Expression® Security Consortium
* — book available as download with
Creative Commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...
license {{Portal bar, Books, Freedom of speech, Law, Literature, Media, Politics, United States 2005 non-fiction books American political books Books about creativity Books about freedom of speech Works about intellectual property law Works about trademark law Doubleday (publisher) books University of Minnesota Press books