The Relationship Between Intellectual Property and Race
Prince had one of the most famous cases of Black entertainers running into trouble with IP law but it seems to be an issue that runs deeper within our society.
Maybe you remember or maybe your parents told you a time where, Prince changed his name to a symbol. The music icon had taken a very bold stand about owning his music that gained national attention. Prince was very against the use of his music on social media because of it feeling exploitative and abusive. Now that streaming is more of the norm in the music industry, it seems like there is less debate on owning music rights. Its why you can’t make Tik Toks to certain songs, etc. But as social media became bigger and the platforms allowing creators to use music in their content, laws were not so cut and dry.
But just as many issues in this country, there is also a connection between Intellectual Property law and race and how the system is an extension of white supremacy. In this episode, of the So-Called Oreos podcast, Amari sits down for a one-on-one conversation with Anjali Vats, an Associate Professor at Boston College teaching courses in race, rhetoric, law, and media studies. Together they discuss all the ways Intellectual Property law and race intersect and how the system designed to protect the works of creators actually does little for Black and Brown people. (Shocking.) Amari also gets the chance to ask Vats about her latest book, “The Color of Creatorship: Intellectual Property, Race, and the Making of Americans,” which explores how Intellectual Property in the U.S. works to form American ideals around race, citizenship, and property.
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