Banning Creative Freedom

Beginning with a brief lesson in history, Larry Lessig discusses the development of society from a read/write culture to a read-only culture in this Restriction on Creativity keynote. As technologies are created, people are constantly met with rules and regulations that restrict the creative potential that those new technologies provide.

In the 21st century the Internet is providing youth with the possibility to create an unlimited amount of user-generated content. This content displays how children relate to themselves and to the world around them as defined by the abundance of digital technology. The problem arises when companies place copyright laws on everything and begin to attack remix videos and related content as pirated material.

Digital technology has become a tool for creativity for modern youth. By banning certain material and forbidding the potential that modern technology has for creativity, society is creating an "age of prohibitions," a realization that is extremely corrosive and corrupt for young minds and businesses.