MySpace copyright infringement becomes art show

Intresting idea, photographer Arthur During discovered that he's is huge on MySpace, and decided to turn all that infringement into an art show reports PDN Online.

When Hancock wrote to MySpace (which is owned by media behemoth News Corp.) and asked the site to pull the images down, he heard nothing back.

As a change in tactics, During created his own MySpace account and began writing to some of the people who used his image. He found their replies less than satisfying. "People are not that interested in entering into a dialogue about this," he says. "This is an extremely incidental experience to most people."

Over time, During and Hancock became interested in the different ways people were using the image.

"You name it, that kind of person has used that picture on their site," Hancock says. "When I realized that was going on, that's when I stopped writing to MySpace and started collecting the screen grabs."

On the wall at the gallery, the MySpace printouts include a user who posted the picture with the comment, "YAAAY FOR RUNNING IN THE RAIN." Another is from a church youth group leader who uses the picture to describe his "current mood."

His image 'rain drops' has been used by stoners, teenage girls, regular joes and everyone else - interesting that so many vasty different people found that the photo suited them. These people tried showing off their individuality by using the same photo that was hotlinked by hundreds of others. Ironic. And not in the Alanis Morissette way.