Owen Kelly argues that corporations try to extend and merge the definitions of copyright and trademarks. This hurts creators, stifles creativity, and harms the public domain.
In this episode Owen Kelly continues a discussion begun last month. He begins by quoting a comment that Arlene Goldbard made after the last episode, and addressing the point she made.
He goes on to look at the relationship between copyright and branding, and at two recent events in which large corporations have attempted to extend the use of trademarks in predatory ways. He looks at Starbucks’ attempts to silence their union and at easyGroup, “Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s private investment company” and their successful attempt to shut down an indie band who have, for the last eight years, called themselves Easy Life.
Not “easyLife” (as in easyJet), you may note, but that traditional English expression “Easy Life”, as in “she’s opted for the easy life now”.
But sadly not in this case.