The Good News About Copyright - a personal view by Radha Sahar
Exploring the maze of copyright law in my work as a composer I made a surprising discovery: the personal benefits of following it outweigh the hassles! The effort is worth it on an individual, spiritual level.
Here are the spiritual gains as I experience them:
Clear Conscience
That ‘somewhere in the back of our minds’ is conscience. Listening to the conscience and following it brings clarity of mind.
It’s as though a burden is lifted, and the amazing thing is that the light, airy mind-space created seems far bigger than one would imagine such an obscure ‘burden’ would take up.
Having a clear conscience is a very enjoyable feeling.
Peace of Mind
When an old fridge clicks off we suddenly realise it was on. The immediate peace feels disproportionate to the ‘un-noticeable’ noise.
In our minds we’re unaware of so much going on. The complex brain activity maintaining a mental habit of avoidance could be thought of as a motor hum. Embrace the issue and the hum turns off.
Peace of mind is the result. That army of threatening-looking warnings printed on recordings, books and software can be thought of as a ‘peace-keeping’ force.
This concept is similar to, but subtly different from gaining a clear conscience.
Simply Living
Copying is done on impulse. Like thoughtless consumerism it runs on immediate desire. Fulfilling immediate desire without restraint complicates life in ways we may not realise.
We clutter up our lives accumulating items, which in turn contributes to their devaluation. In consciously choosing to refrain from copying, we find ouselves thinking “How much do I really want this? - Enough to pay full price? How often am I actually going to listen to or look at this?”.
Such helpful, evaluative thoughts help keep our lives simple. The result is that we have a smaller, more meaningful collection of books & recordings that reflect our commitment and deeper values. We have less tatty clutter in the room and, in environmental terms, less of a waste burden for Mother Earth!
Strengthening of Community
When we don't want an item enough to purchase it, we can always go to the library or video store, or borrow it from a friend.
In the current profit based world, libraries and similar social institutions are precious commodities. It could possibly come down to ‘use or lose them’ - and in my opinion, if ordinary people in religious and community groups started following copyright law, public libraries would be used more and small, exciting new video and music libraries run by special interest groups, would mushroom up all over the place!
Personal friendships would also be strengthened and our intellects stimulated through sharing valued resources - making a note of who has what so it doesn't get lost.
Growing in Integrity
Practicing restraint and patience when we first feel the rush of inspiration to spread ideas, is quite a discipline. But we develop integrity through this.
Take the ‘workshop buzz’ for instance: people who present inspiring ideas or methods are able to do so because the material they present has been processed through their inner experience - usually over many months or years.
This gives what they present a convincing aura. Using a bulk of someone else's content, passing out photocopies of their workshop sheets, using large passages of their writings etc is not working in integrity - unless you have permission or are certified in the method concerned.
Drawing, to a modest degree, from a variety of sources which you acknowledge, is fine and shows you have respect.
Nurturing the growths of one's own integrity is a rewarding process.
Freeing Ourselves from Envy
Because most people experience music, art and literature as entertainment, they perceive people working in those fields as ‘getting big money for enjoying themselves’.
This leads to envy and resentment - sad, as this attitude causes suffering. We make sweeping judgments regarding areas we know very little about.
For instance office workers can think – “Teachers have a good salary considering they get ten weeks holiday and finish at half past three!” Factory workers may look at management and think “What a wicket - business lunches, flying round the country, and bossing people around.”
Each only knows how hard we work in our own occupation. The vast majority of artists and writers struggle to survive financially.
A few rich artists who ‘make it’ stand out because they're in the glamour industry - we could choose to celebrate their success!
Freeing ourselves from envy is a revered goal in all spiritual paths.
Raising Artistic Standards
Through buying the product of an artist's mental labour, we endorse and strengthen the kind of art we find inspiring - we contribute indirectly to standards being raised.
The mass market may always respond to the ‘lowest common denominator’. In other areas, through selecting and paying for what we value, works of poorer quality will not survive.
The avant-garde will continue to be funded by grants etc, protecting progressive trends.
Caring for Others Artists at any level who can earn a living from their work are able to refine their skills. When I pay for a book, DVD, tape, CD or video, I support them to survive and grow.Full time artists rarely have salaries. Despite this, many artists now have to fund their own productions. With musicians this can amount to thousands of dollars per project.
Because monetary returns on albums are low, many are forced to earn their bread and butter by doing advertisements. By not copying, we are caring - not endangering the livelihood of those who channel the very food for our own inspiration!
Lowering the Crime-Rate
It’s a humbling thought, but just as peace begins within, so does crime. Copying music, literature, software etc is, to put it bluntly, stealing.
When hearing some neat music, what rapidly runs through the mind is something like this: “Cool! What’s that? How can I have it without paying $...?”
Justifying thoughts get added, like “Those record companies and artists are rich enough anyway, and besides I am going to use this music for...” (Occasionally the merit of the cause does seem to outweigh apparent dues to the writer - it's hard).
The ‘higher-than-thou’ self might add: “Anyway, music is spiritual - a gift from God - it should be free. What right have people to make money out of it?”
Despite my own music work, I can even convince myself that making money from the arts is immoral, so turning the tables as to who's the thief!
Whether I agree with the law-of-the-land or not, is not the issue. Following or not following it is.
Because copyright law is hard to enforce, the conscience needs to be appealed to.
Strengthening Will
Going along with what others do is usually deemed adolescent, and, in my own life, I’m surprised at the extent to which I still find others' behaviour affects me - (eg, around food!).
Adults are still influenced by the herd - the ‘everybody does it’ factor, and we need to check if this is appropriate.
In developing my will in small ways such as ‘not copying’, my resolve is strengthened in other, more challenging areas of personal and spiritual growth.
Developing Trust
It’s surprising how many apparently unfair laws or practices make sense in terms of the health of a whole society once all factors are taken into account.
People who feel any given law is unjust are free to work for change.
Having a positive outlook of trust in the majority of people's intentions makes one's world a happier place.
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Last Updated: August 08, 2007