Not the Boss of Me

Festival to Address Copyright Issues

It's an age-old struggle between the big, strong corporation (them) and the little, creative genius (you). Whether you're a musician, programmer or painter, that innocent-looking, lower-case "c" inside a circle can pack quite a wallop.

Through a two-day festival called "You're Not the Boss of Me," Carnegie Mellon entertained and informed the local community about copyright, criminality, fair use and transgression in American culture. Artists, critics, lawyers and filmmakers were on hand March 30 and 31 to explore the issues and answer questions.

"The 'You're Not the Boss of Me' festival was for anyone involved in a creative field," said Chris Sperandio, the Jill Kraus Visiting Assistant Professor of Art at Carnegie Mellon. "We asked artists, activists and craftspeople from around Pittsburgh to come to the College of Fine Arts building and set up to display their goods, sell their wares and share information."

The festival was (mostly) free and open to the public, featuring a keynote lecture by James Boyle, a performance by Girl Talk, presentations by Jacob Ciocci, Martha Colburn, Brody Condon and a discussion led by Kathy M. Newman and Melissa Ragona. Carnegie Mellon's Contemporary Ensemble performed.

Guests could view a selection of films curated by Thomas Beard and a multimedia closing party video-jockeyed by Suzie Silver.

The weekend event was sponsored by the School of Art; the Center for Arts in Society; School of Music; the Entertainment Technology Center; the master of arts management program and the Office of the Vice Provost for Education; Pittsburgh Filmmakers and the Andy Warhol Museum.