Re:Create Recap – November 30, 2017

Meet Malinda Reese: Google Translate Cover Artist, Actress And YouTube Vlogger. Malinda Reese first gained attention when she performed a parody of the Disney hit song “Let It Go,” by using an online translator to convert the lyrics through multiple languages. The end result went viral and has been viewed more than 10 million times. In the latest profile for the Re:Create Coalition’s New Creator Series, Malinda talks about how she’s grown her online presence to include original covers and vlogs, earning over half a million YouTube subscribers and more than 73 million video views. Her translation cover songs have spun off into their own playlist called “Google Translate Sings,” and she has also experimented with Siri and auto-captions. Learn more about Malinda Reese and her work by visiting her on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and her website.

New Copy This Podcast: Professor James Boyle On Pop Culture And The Public Domain. Tune in to the latest episode of our Copy This Podcast featuring James Boyle, law professor at Duke University, and expert on the public domain: the books, songs, movies, artwork and other copyrighted works that are available for free to the public. Boyle dives into how the public domain remains an important resource for innovation and creativity, and why it is critical to oppose the entertainment industries’ efforts to restrict public access to information and historical materials.

Internet Creators Under Attack In NAFTA Renegotiations. A new website from Techdirt’s Mike Masnick and Engine Advocacy explains how online platforms like WordPress, Flickr, Reddit, and Kickstarter and the internet creators who use them are under attack. Opponents are attempting to use NAFTA to undermine the laws behind 25 years’ worth of creativity and innovation online — including fair use and safe harbors. Creators and innovators like Barry Eisler, Peter Hollens and GitHub are weighing in with testimonials on how balanced copyright is critical to their business, allowing them to bypass big-media gatekeepers and bring their work straight to audiences.

Copyright Term Extensions Restrict Access To Artwork Created Over 100 Years Ago. Have you ever wondered why you can adapt or Photoshop the “Mona Lisa” but you face more restrictions when using modern art? In an excerpt from his book Beg, Steal and Borrow: Artist’s Against Originality, Robert Shore wrote that although copyright is a “cornerstone of any democratic, progressive, free society,” copyright can go too far in limiting future creativity.

Updated NAFTA Objectives On Copyright Still Need Work. Updated NAFTA renegotiation objectives from USTR “represent significant progress on digital trade priorities,” but “still fall short” of protecting safe harbor provisions currently enshrined in U.S. law, wrote Rachael Stelly for Project DisCo. “The U.S. will truly be at a disadvantage if it pursues positive digital trade provisions such as data flows but neglects to also include other critical protections in U.S. law that the digital economy depends upon,” concluded Stelly.

Etsy Sellers Celebrate Small Business Saturday. For this year’s Small Business Saturday, Etsy and American Express sponsored pop-up marketplaces across the country to promote brick-and-mortar and online business owners during the holiday season, reported CNBC. One maker described how she sells handmade stationery on Etsy as a side business, producing cards and designs out of her apartment. With her sales increasing by 50% during the holiday season, she credited Etsy for enabling her to stay small but still maintain a high degree of customer service. “It’s completely different to buy something from someone who’s actually made it,” she said. “People are looking for a connection.”

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