Talk about bringing down a room. Actors and directors demand their share of iPod video fees. Fine. Whatever.
But what happens when artists' demands end up stifling art? As the NYTimes observes, "anyone armed with a video camera and movie-editing software can make a documentary. But can everyone afford to make it legally?" The answer is -- did a cellphone go off in a scene? was someone watching The Simpsons? are you using archival photos? -- no, which means even monumental works like "Eyes On The Prize" can't be rented or sold. "'What's really important here is that documentary commitment to telling the truth is being compromised by the need to accommodate perceived intellectual and copyright constraints.'" So go ahead. Speak truth to power. But not to other artists.
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