Tales from the Public Domain Bound by Law? by Aoki, Boyle, Jenkins, For DUKE University 2006

Before I start discussing the comic book Bound By Law? by Keith Aoki, James Boyle, and Jennifer Jenkins, three law professors from Duke University, we should clarify some definitions. The two words discussed most in this comic were public domain and fair use. The public domain is comprised of material on which copyright never existed or has expired and, hence, can be freely used by the public at large. Fair use is a statutory exception to the copyright laws that allows use of portions of copyrighted material for a variety of purposes as long as the use doesn't exceed the boundaries of a four-factor test the law establishes. The comic follows a filmmaker who wants to make a documentary of the day in the life of New York City. Except almost everywhere she goes there is copyrighted or trademarked material: music on the street or in a nightclub; a program or movie on the television in a particular room; or the logos that are ubiquitous at almost any sporting event. To figure out if she can use any or all of these materials without being sued for copyright infringement, she needs to sort out whether the material is protected or in the public domain, she gets her help from two obscure figures as the narrator calls them.

While I was extremely confused by the text and the set up of the comic, it did a good job demonstrating the seemingly endless circles and mazes in which an artist or writer can be led trying to sort out these questions. Bound by Law? also frequently relies on a very childish approach that displays how material which may or may not be in the public domain or may or may not be copyrighted plays a role in the expression of ideas. Due to the authors being advocates of fair use, the book is filled with copyrighted and trademarked images, logos and symbols. Thus, the comic book not only illustrates but also makes a point far better than a traditional written work. Not only does it show the firsthand impact of the problems, it also educates about a variety of court decisions.

Bound by Law? acts as an incredible legal comic book educating the uneducated on the subjects of fair use, copyright, and public domain. As an inspiring filmmaker this comic will be helpful to me. Learning about what I can and cannot do at such an early age will certainly help me in the future. The comic will most certainly need to be read to fully process these confusing laws. With these rules its almost like the rich get richer and its hard for new people to break into the business. I think the world would be better if rights weren’t protected and a large lump sum of money was given, but I know that’s not going to happen. It should be not about the money but about the love of the product you’re distributing.