Sculptural installations can fail for a variety of reasons — some site specific works are not built to accommodate changing conditions, others are scorned by the community (see Richard Serra’s Tilted Arc), and finally, there is a category of works that are just plain dangerous. This week I’m counting down 5 art installation disasters, mishaps [...]

Mark Hosler of Negativland talks about the band’s role as Creative Commons’ (CC) first Project Lead. In 2003 CC recruited the sound collage pioneers to oversee drafting of the Sampling License which allows people to “create collage art and “mash-ups” — as well as other art forms based on re-used materials — from licensed works.” [...]

you thought we wouldn’t notice is a site “dedicated to pointing out those things that give you that feeling of ‘haven’t I seen that somewhere before?’” YTWWN encourages artists and others to post examples of egregious copyright infringement. Visit YTWWN (Thanks, Susan Beth!)

In 1991, Negativland released U2. The EP mashed a rant by American Top 40 host Casey Kasem with samples of U2′s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and an accompanying kazoo. U2′s label Island Records sued Negativland alleging both copyright (unauthorized sampling) and trademark infringement (misleading cover artwork) — according to the band, [...]

Plunderphonics is a term coined by composer John Oswald in his 1985 essay Plunderphonics, or Audio Piracy as a Compositional Prerogative. Oswald describes the practice of making music from previously recorded material. His method was the audio equivalent of William S. Burroughs’ literary cut-ups. Oswald’s polemics about the future of “new-fangled, much-talked-about digital sound sampling [...]

On Tuesday, U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Victoria Espinel, released the Joint Strategic Plan to Combat Intellectual Property Theft. In a blog post, Espinel notes the importance of balancing enforcement and creativity via fair use, “The Obama Administration has always embraced the free flow of information, online collaboration, and fair use by average citizens, which [...]

Over 1,200 works from the Polaroid Collection of Photography headed to auction at Sotheby’s on June 21/22, 2010. The sale, by order of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota, was widely criticized for fragmenting the collection of over 24,000 objects. Despite the controversy, the works surpassed their pre-sale estimate, garnering $12.4 million. [...]

Japanese far right blocks dolphin hunting documentary “Noisy rallies, online slanders, intimidating phone calls and veiled threats of violence” are compelling theaters into canceling showings of The Cove. The documentary depicts dolphin hunting and warns of high levels of mercury in fish — “a disturbing disclosure in this seafood-loving nation.” From NYT. Google backs down [...]