Copyright Criminals

In this thought-provoking documentary, filmmakers Benjamin Franzen and Kembrew McLeod look at sample-based music from legal, moral, and artistic perspectives. To musician/producer Steve Albini, using pre-existing material in place of something new represents “an extraordinarily lazy artistic choice,” but he stops short of calling it theft, while Digital Underground rapper Shock G believes that both forms have their value. Several speakers note that sampling wasn't really a problem until hip-hop became big business, at which point the lawyers became involved. After the Turtles sued De La Soul in the late 1980s (over a sample from 1969's “You Showed Me”), the rush was on, and artists henceforth needed to clear their samples. Yet, as Tommy Boy's Tom Silverman observes, it's actually less expensive to cover an entire song than to sample a portion. Aside from comments from a wide variety of music professionals, Franzen and McLeod incorporate an impressive quantity of film and audio clips, layering tracks and using split-screen shots to vividly explore connections. For example, James Brown's “Funky Drummer” is juxtaposed with Public Enemy's “Fight the Power,” making it clear that the latter simply wouldn't exist without the former. So it doesn't seem right that Brown's drummer Clyde Stubblefield, who appears here, should receive no credit for his work, while his record label continues to receive royalties. DVD extras include extended interviews and four short films about fair use. A valuable contribution to the national discussion centering on a thorny issue (see Rip! A Remix Manifesto [VL-9/09]), this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)