Post by @celesteh@hachyderm.io

2026-10-01 11:33 UTC

@farseen@fedi.nptr.xyz @reformed_content_marketer@mastodon.social @knowprose@mastodon.social @mcc@mastodon.social Some countries have the idea of moral rights that reach beyond normal copyright. In the US the framework is much more cut and dry. The original version of Steam Boat Willie is in the public domain which means he bongs to everyone and noone. There are absolutely no limits as to what can be done with him in terms of modification and reuse. Like Shakespeare and the King James Bible and every single work over a certain age, no person has the right to restrict what any other person (or corporation) does. Anything released into the public domain by a living artist (or their estate if they're recently deceased) is in the same situation, at least with regards to copyright law in the US. Most slop generators are primarily governed by US law, to the extent that they're governed at all. Slop generators do also run afoul of plagiarism, which does apply to works in the public domain. I cannot pass off Steam Boat Willie as my own work.

Replies (2)

@knowprose@mastodon.social 2026-10-01 12:40

@celesteh@hachyderm.io @farseen@fedi.nptr.xyz @reformed_content_marketer@mastodon.social @mcc@mastodon.social 'public domain', though, is pretty much the same throughout the world. In fact, it's odd that you mention Steam Boat Willie since the Sonny Bono Act (also known as the Mickey Mouse Act) *extended* copyright so that works of corporations would be significantly delayed in becoming public domain. Lessig wrote of that. Moral Rights is interesting given it wasn't imported with Copyright Law in the U.S. in direct form. https://knowprose.com/2026/09/the-code-of-creation/

Open ##4985539
@reformed_content_marketer@mastodon.social 2026-10-01 22:25

@celesteh@hachyderm.io @farseen@fedi.nptr.xyz @knowprose@mastodon.social @mcc@mastodon.social yeah, I wish everywhere had the concept of moral rights for creators. Copyright violation doesn’t encompass most of the harms being done. AI training isn’t just (IMO not even primarily) a property rights issue. We need a larger framework that takes into account moral injury issues, dignity in labor, etc.

Open ##4985541