Yes, Artists Build on the Works of Others, So Why Is it Sometimes Infringement?

TechDirt, January 30, 2009
By Mike Masnick

The history of creativity has always included the concept of taking the ideas of others (those who influenced you) and building on them. That's the history of storytelling. It's the history of joke telling. It's the history of writing. It's the history of music. It's the way art is created. This culture of "ownership" of ideas is damaging to our cultural heritage.

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