The documentary is particularly interested in the
legal grey area of remixing existing works. The film features appearances by: • Gregg Gillis (better known as
Girl Talk) an American musician specializing in
mashup-style remixes, which often use a dozen or more unauthorized samples from different songs to create an entirely new track. Gillis' 2006 album Night Ripper had potentially 300 copyright infringements and carried a maximum financial liability penalty of around $45 million. To some he is considered a creative rebel of a mash-up artist, while others deem his work pure copyright infringement. •
Lawrence Lessig, an American academic and political activist, and a professor of law at
Harvard Law School and founder of the
Center for Internet and Society. He is best known as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on
copyright, trademark, and
radio frequency spectrum, particularly in technology applications. He was previously a professor of law at Stanford Law School. Gaylor discusses the legal protection of fair use with Lessig to determine the ability to produce the film. •
Cory Doctorow, a Canadian blogger, journalist and science fiction author. Doctorow is co-editor of the blog
Boing Boing and is an activist in favor of reforming
copyright laws. He is a proponent of the
Creative Commons organization, using some of their licenses for his books. Common themes in his work include
digital rights management and
file sharing. In the film, Doctorow states, "Technology giveth, technology taketh away." •
Gilberto Gil, the Brazilian musician and former Minister of Cultural Affairs who initiated pioneering programs in
Brazil through a partnership with
Creative Commons. As Minister, he sponsored a program called Culture Points, which gives
grants to provide music technology and education to people living in poor areas of the country's cities. •
Dan O'Neill, an underground cartoonist and founder of the
Air Pirates, a group which was famously sued by
The Walt Disney Company for copyright infringement. •
Jammie Thomas, the single mom successfully sued by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) at the
Capitol v. Thomas case for Thomas' illegal downloading. The single mother, who made US$36,000 a year, was ordered to pay US$222,220 in damages for making 24 songs available for download on the
Kazaa file sharing network. ==Festivals and awards==