Legal Realities
In today’s world the notion of uniqueness carries far less weight than it did 50 years ago. Most great artists and writers frequently draw on other works for inspiration and in doing so can quite easily and sometimes without being aware adopt styles of the works they admire. In the abstract I think that everyone on some level is guilty of copyright infringement. However I do understand the need for this kind of tort. If people are not allowed ownership of their work than there is little incentive to push the boundaries of conventional reality. While the law is certainly an important consideration in any publishing venture I think that people must hold themselves to an even higher authority, their own morals and ethics. One quote that has stuck with me seems appropriate in this situation, rhetoric, defined as making an argument in the public sphere, is the act of “the good person speaking well.” If we are to be taken seriously for our thoughts and convictions then we as originators of content must be comfortable that we meet our own standards for judging credible material. It seems to me that printing a libelous comment will not only earn you trouble with the law but would in many ways undermine the intended goal of a blog meant to address social concerns of our day.
