[-empyre-] copyright

["Patrick Lichty" <voyd@voyd.com>]

i have not been paid a red cent for
> > showing at the whitney twice now, the whitney exhibitions have directly
> > led to engagements that i have been paid for, and in some cases fairly
> > well paid.

I personally find the topic of pay for work important, but doesn't seem to
cover much new ground.  I'd almost venture to say that some new models need
to be investigated or rethought.  Of course I have been in some mightily big
shows with a laughable token as my stipend (tends to be the case), but it is
getting to the point where the money is starting to come, and I figure that
things will take care of themselves if I'm doing the right thing.

But as far as money is concerned, sure I'm angry that my work isn't making
me that much.  Sure I'm angry when I see my colleagues get flown in from
God-knows-where and put up, wined and dined, where I only get wined and
dined, but I've only been on that end too. Good things come to those who are
patient, aware and assertive.  It is the person in it for the very long haul
who will persevere.

I have not concentrated on commodification of my work because I feel that it
has not been the strongest strategy, as most of my art income comes from
spinoffs like lectures & awards (not grants).  Probably the hardest way to
do it, but there you are.

> > as far as copyright, i'm very loose on the topic. i find the stack of
> > paperwork involved when i agree to show a work rather silly, i barely
> > bother to read it and sign without a care for the fine print. when
> i find that scary  - eg siggraph almost seems to want to you to sign you
> life away ..
> also even GNU General Public License has copyrite clauses

Except for a few groups that I respect (really only MIT Press, who's my
primary publisher), I usually completely ignore copyrights mainly for the
fact that what I do is either appropriation in those cases when I'm
challenging copyright, or give proper credit in my writing.

In short, I don't worry about copyright because I either don't fall into a
category where I don't need to worry, or understand that to prosecute is
smaller potatoes than it's worth for the level of infringement I'm doing.