Satellite TV helps define parody and theft
Website design By BotEap.comLet’s face it, in today’s entertainment there is a tendency to ‘borrow’. The postmodern concept that everything under the sun has already been done, at least on television, so why not start reworking, renovating and recreating? It has really assimilated with both television studios and producers and viewers. People have gotten comfortable watching the same reality TV formulas over and over again. They’re comfortable with re-enactments of the same new show with different anchors, and they don’t seem to mind the standard pacing of the standard sitcom. The problem now, however, is where to draw the lines between what violates copyright and what is considered a good parody and all good fun.
Website design By BotEap.comTo complicate matters, add the internet in there and there’s a whole new kind of media to mix, match and mediate on TV. The question, again, is where the line is between what images and concepts can be reproduced and put on television. One satellite TV show that seems to be having a hard time finding the line is South Park. After a recent public apology for stealing material from the popular website CollegeHumor.com, they returned a month later to face similar charges related to the YouTube favorite and instant web classic “What What (In the Butt)”.
Website design By BotEap.comThere was a time when shows like South Park weren’t considered entities to sue, but indicators that a person’s 15 minutes of fame had reached some kind of zenith. The exhibition itself was seen as a reward, and not a punishable offence. Today, in a litigation-happy society, the trend is to stop turning a blind eye to legality issues and claim artistic and intellectual property whenever and wherever the opportunity arises. Maybe it all ended when Paris Hilton bought into the phrase “that’s hot,” but it seemed like anything “with that” enough to make it to South Park would be created by someone who knew better.
Website design By BotEap.comThe 2007 YouTube phenomenon aired in a 2008 episode of South Park. For the past two years, apparently the company it’s from, Brownmark Films, has been handling the issue. They recently officially filed a lawsuit claiming that South Park had acted “indifferent to Brownmark’s rights.” That tune is a bit different from the 2008 comments made by founders Bobby Ciraldo and Andrew Swant in an interview, where they seemed excited by the unexpected announcement on the popular satellite TV show. They were surprised by the tribute and even sent a thank you email to the creators of South Park. The guys who are suing don’t sound like the same friendly guys who were so happy to hit HD beforehand!
Website design By BotEap.comIn the end, it seems that the creators of South Park are out of trouble for now. However, they will have to be vigilant where they step in the future and not hot on the heels of internet sensations. These once home-made videos are now produced by themselves, albeit by very, very independent people, and they appear to have a copyright infringement claim on the reproduction of their material. In the future, entertainment law will have the final say on what is and is not acceptable in the world of copyright infringement and parody.