Table of Contents
Shout Outs v
A Note on Pictures vii
Introduction 1
Commons, Creativity and Norms 1
Outline of Chapters 3
Panel I Context
1 Graffiti History and Development 9
Introduction 9
Historical Development 9
Defining Graffiti Writing (and Street Art) 10
Origins of Graffiti Writing 13
Transplanting the Subculture 17
The London/UK Scene 19
Elements of the Subculture 21
Motivations and Identity 22
Fame and Hierarchy 23
Visibility, Placement and Style 27
Illegality and the Graffiti Rules 30
Conclusion 31
2 Copyright, Creativity and Commons 32
Introduction 32
Justifications for Copyright 32
Creativity and Commons 39
Creativity as Process, Pleasure and Space 39
Copyright, Culture and the Public Domain 43
Graffiti and the 'Bounded Commons' 49
Graffiti in the Physical and Intellectual Commons 49
The Graffiti-Specific Commons 52
Alternative Frameworks 56
Norms and Rules, Customs and Practice 56
Regulating Creativity Without Copyright Law 58
Conclusion 61
3 Methodology: Reflections on Fieldwork 63
Introduction 63
Empirical Research on Graffiti 64
Choice of Research Methodology 66
Data Gathering 67
Setting 68
Participants 70
Interviews 73
Supplementary Sources 77
Data Analysis 80
Conclusion 83
Panel II Form
4 Copyright-Subject Matter 87
Introduction 87
Qualification 88
Graffiti Writing as a 'Work' 89
Graffiti Writing as an Artistic Work 91
Graffiti Writing as a Literary Work 95
Graffiti Writing as a Literary and an Artistic Work 97
Graffiti Writing as a 'Work' and a Trade Mark 98
Fixation and Permanence 99
Fixation of Literary Works 100
Materiality of Artistic Works 100
Public Policy and Illegality 102
Conclusion 108
5 Graffiti Rules-Write Letters, Choose Spots 109
Introduction 109
Writing Letters 110
Writing and Writers 110
Types of Writing 111
Ways of Writing 113
Copyright Beyond Copyright-Subject Matter 114
Appropriate Placement 118
Visibility and the Hierarchy of Placement 119
Public versus Private Property Placement 122
'Personal' Property and Respect/Morals 124
'Personal' Property Commercial Property and Urban Aesthetics 125
Trains and Tracksides as Public/Private Property 127
Placement, Commons and Political Justifications 128
Copyright Beyond Copyright-Morality and Space 130
Placement, Permanence and (Im)materiality 133
Copyright Beyond Copyright-Materiality and Permanence 135
Conclusion 138
Panel III Copying
6 Copyright-Originality and Infringement 141
Introduction 141
Originality 142
Graffiti Writing as an Original Literary Work 143
Graffiti Writing as an Original Artistic Work 147
Authorship, Joint Authorship and Ownership 155
Infringement 157
Reproduction of Literary and Artistic Works 157
Reproduction of Graffiti as an Original Literary Work-Names 159
Reproduction of Graffiti as an Original Artistic Work-Style 159
Intellectual Creation, Reproduction and the Adaptation of Graffiti Style 166
Communication to the Public of Literary and Artistic Works 168
Distribution of Artistic Works 170
Defences to Infringement 170
Fair Dealing for Research or Private Study 171
Fair Dealing for Reporting Current Events 173
Conclusion 173
7 Giaffiti Rules-Be Original, Don't Bite 175
Introduction 175
Style and Originality 175
Novelty and Stylistic Heritage 179
Identifying Biting and Justifying Sanctions 183
Style and Skill (Can Control) 187
Copyright Beyond Copyright-Originality and Copying 189
Originality and the Name 194
Copyright Beyond Copyright-Marks Without Trade 198
Exceptions for Biting 199
Blackbooks 200
Tags, Commons and Territory 201
Shout outs 203
Copying Within Crews 204
Copyright Beyond Copyright-Exceptions and the Commons 205
Conclusion 207
8 Moral Rights 211
Introduction 211
Preconditions for Moral Rights 211
Public Exhibition 212
Communication to the Public and Commercial Publication 214
Attribution, False Attribution and Integrity 216
Mural Right of Attribution 218
Moral Right Against False Attribution 224
Moral Right of Integrity 225
Moral Rights and Communal Creativity 233
Conclusion 234
9 Graffiti Rules-Don't Go Over 235
Introduction 235
Norm Against Interference 236
Style, Skill and Respect 238
Placement, Territory and Commons 242
Copyright Beyond Copyright-Spatialised Moral Rights 243
Sanctions and Subcultural Politics 247
Going Over and Other Sanctions 248
Going Over and Beef 251
Copyright Beyond Copyright-Damage and Damages 253
Conclusion 253
Panel V Interactions
10 Graffiti Rules and Copyright Law 257
Introduction 257
Copyright and Public Placement 258
Land, Chattels and Copyright 258
Public Exhibition 262
The Section 62 Exception 263
Graffiti Writers' Rules for Non-writers 265
Approval (or Tolerance) of Sharing 265
Disapproval of Commercial Copying 270
Graffiti Rules for Copyright 272
Revising the Public Placement Exception 275
Introducing 'Fair Use', Making Use of Quotation 277
Strengthening Moral Rights 284
Conclusion 284
Conclusion 287
Convergence and Divergence: Justifying Copyright? 289
Space, Pleasure, Resistance 293
Creativity, Space and Pleasure 293
Graffiti Rules as Resistance 295
Where Next? 299
Index 301
