Did you know that it was World Book and Copyright Day last 23 April 2013 and that tomorrow, 26 April 2013, is the World Intellectual Property Day?
Intellectual property especially copyright have significant impacts in the lives of otaku and J-Pop enthusiasts. I wrote an essay about these topics in observance of these days of celebration. If you have some spare time, you may want to read the following essay. Don't worry, it's relatively short... just approximately 1,200 words. =D
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| Image Source: http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/ip-outreach/images/ipday_2012_icon.jpg |
Respect Copyright, Respect Yourself
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." With all due respect to Charles Caleb Colton, he must have forgotten to include in his aphorism an expressed note that he is either being sarcastic or that with flattering comes an acknowledgement of that which is being imitated. Colton, having been a writer himself in his lifetime, must have said this in such a context wherein he knows that to flatter someone through copying, it goes without saying that the one being copied from is recognized and highly respected by the imitator.
Ironically nowadays, in the advent of the knowledge and information economies as well as in the ever-continuous rapid advancement of technology, copying of information whether it be technical knowledge or creative works seem to be just a mere walk in the park. Copying of information and subscription to it can be done by anyone, anywhere and anytime with a laidback attitude as if it is just an ordinary unharmful daily activity. Piracy and plagiarism have become so prevalent that most people either do not realize or could not care less on the impact of the buying of unlicensed optical media with information like music, film and literary among others, or the indiscriminate copying of others' academic works without credit. Impacts to not only the society as a whole but more so to one's own values and personality that may not be so readily obvious but are extremely significant nonetheless.
As a student, I have seen to it that I quote the authors and include my sources in every term paper that I submit to my professors without fail. I would otherwise feel like a thief in plain view if I will not be able to cite the people from whom I have taken parts of my paper. As a matter of fact, I see quoting others as bolstering whatever position I take in a paper that I am writing. Else, I would feel incomplete from the incompetence of reinforcing my concepts with the ideas of others.
As a hobbyist, an otaku or more commonly known as a fan of anime and manga or Japanese comics, I admittedly watch videos and read scanned comics online. It is a way of otaku life after all. However, I never forget to pay my respect, appreciation and admiration to animators, author-illustrators, producers and publishers of these works by watching and supporting locally franchised anime programs as well as buying licensed anime DVD and mangas or comics. Recently, anime films such as Naruto: The Movie have started to be shown in local cinemas. Shortly thereafter, more anime films will follow suit like One Piece Film Z and Hunter X Hunter. A friend once asked with a bit of sarcasm, "Why will you spend for movie tickets to view films that are downloadable and can be readily watched online?" To which I replied with pride and a smile, "We have to support these releases so producers and distributors are made aware that there is a following here in the Philippines and for them to be able to continue making similar showings and releases in the future. It is not about being imprudent or splurging money. It is all about doing ourselves, the fans, a favor . It is about our identity."
The local otaku community have been rejoicing in the announcements of the debuting of these films in the Philippines. A few months ago, the Japanese anime-inspired film, Rurouni Kenshin, was a blockbuster. So much so that original DVDs and VCDs went on sale shortly afterwards. Entertainment companies must have taken this as a cue that Filipinos are mature enough to support this kind of launches and releases despite the fact that the target audience are technology-literate and capable of simply downloading copies from the internet. It is very heartening how it illustrates that most youth like Filipino anime and manga enthusiasts understand the importance of supporting both the industry that brings them pleasure and the people behind it through patronizing licensed or official media even if cheap, pirated copies or free downloads are available.
Incidentally, I am also a Japanese Pop Music or J-Pop enthusiast. It is not a bewilderment for me to know that in spite of the digital age, J-Pop idols and artists continue to sell their music and videos in high volume and record-breaking sales achievements. It is, for me - by far, the best example of how people respect copyright. Fans adore and support their favorite artists by collecting original creative merchandises of their idols. They deeply understand that without their subscription to their idols' artistic talent, it will not be possible for the artists to continue providing their fans entertainment and enjoyment. The same thing can be said to Filipino artists and their fans although the Philippine entertainment industry is much more prone and is actually already suffering from the consequences of rampant piracy and the seemingly indifferent Filipino consumer towards intellectual property especially copyright.
The dichotomy presents both the rewards of respecting copyright and the ill-effects of disrepute for creativity as well as disregard for intellectual property rights. The creations achieved from such literary and artistic works that bring pleasure and deliver happiness to people are put on the line whenever anyone would engage in piracy online. Indifference to copyright does ripple to economic proportions that is self-defeating as it affects the society as a whole and its individual components. But more than the economic perspective, the worst consequence of one's blatant disregard for copyright, to my mind, is one's loss of identity and culture.
Whether it be scientific or academic, literary or artistic, if people do not value the underlying intellectual capital in a creation, albeit intangible, it is tantamount to prostituting themselves - that is either putting their abilities to waste or demeaning their very own existence. On one hand, as a human, we are endowed by the ability to think, to interact and to analyze ideas for us to produce our own academic evaluations; hence, to plagiarize is an incompetence as a rational being.
Patronizing pirated intellectual property or copyright-infringing materials and products, on the other hand, is denial of one's own identity. We identify ourselves with what we watch, read and listen to. In the process of imbibing the artistry, we feel happy then eventually grow passionate and appreciative of these artistic creations. For anyone to patronize unauthorized copies of one's favored literary or artistic material is far from being appreciative of its author or artist. Simply put, one cannot claim to be a fan of another if he or she contributes to the downfall of the creator. We cannot assert an identity if we refute the very artistic creations that we associate ourselves with.
Copyright is the protection of culture. It is one's appreciation of others that translates to the preservation of one's identity. You respect copyright, you respect yourself.
