Which Way will USC go?

USC as a university faces a core, defining choice: do we as a community cherish the free exchange of ideas or are we willing to further compromise the same? Universities like USC are at a cross-roads. What is more important - student/teacher intellectual
growth and academic exploration or a corporate Intellectual Property rights logic?

So far, the admininistration has sided on the wrong side - show up Tuesday night and tell them to switch over (see below Free Culture blog link for information. The event is free and open to the public).

See my opinion published in today's Daily Trojan to see what's at stake (link).

Special Panel - "Intellectual Property Rights and The Modern University: How to Move Forward"

The USC Free Culture group is hosting a high-profile panel Tueday, March 27th, 5:00 p.m (info below). A new human rights "Knowledge Ecology" movement has been developing over the last decade. It's high time that it tips over. For background information on this movement, check out this USC Free Culture blogpost. Societies worldwide have reached a breaking point given the dislocating effects of globalization and the harm done by a specific, American-bred, late 20th Century corporate logic. This harmful logic has infected multiple networks (film, TV, publishing, real estate, medicine) and reveals itself in how one-sided most American's view of Intellectual property. This myopia is not surprising given the stragic, propaganda campaign led by the studio film, television, and music corporate lobbies.

Join us as we begin to re-orient the conversation.

Over the last decade, copyright emerged as weapon for the Recording Industry
Association of American (RIAA) to shut down Napster, alienate a whole generation of music lovers, and most recently, force universities to police their own students. Our distinguished panel will consider the following questions:

How should universities respond?

How do film schools balance students’ desire to mash-up/remix films with the institutional desire to protect copyright?

How is the growing media reform movement addressing these changes?

What: "Intellectual Property Rights & the Modern University: How to Move Forward in the 21st Century"

When: March 27, 2007, 5-6 pm. (Free Admission)

Where: USC’s Taper Hall, Rm 301
3501 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089

Who: Moderator: Geoffrey Cowan - Dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication
Panelists: David A. Abel - President, CEO, ABL, Inc. Publisher/Managing Editor The Planning Report and Metro Investment Report. Chairman, New Schools/ Better Neighborhoods
Lincoln Bandlow: Partner, Fox, Spillane & Shaeffer and Visiting Professor at the Annenberg School of Journalism
Larry Gross - Director, USC Annenberg School of Communication
Michael Renov - Associate Dean, USC School of Cinematic Arts and Professor of Critical Studies
Jen Urban - Director, USC Intellectual Property Clinic and Clinical Associate Professor, USC Gould School of Law

I WANT THE SMALL THINGS

My favorite class is today and here's two more awesome videos:

First, you gotta love a little boy-band action:

Next, some mild, light punk: