Put differently, profiting off another's creativity is a modern problem mostly due to the fact that in most societies, distance and space are no longer factors in the distribution of works of music, art, etc. If a Martian came down and proved he was real and said, "just dropping off this music and art we've produced over the centuries, see ya!"...no one would even imagine there was copyrights on such works--not even a "natural" one.. That doesn't make it morally and ethically exceptable to claim the work as one's own, though legally there would be no problem, other than who gets to plunder the Martian art first. Sounds like a satirical sci-fi comedy ripe for the making, cuz of course, they're coming back and they want attribution. Attribution or instant liquidation, and "we're not talking assets!"

And yes, perhaps Led Zep felt some entitlement..

And one could delve endlessly into the implications of Cultural imperialism in all its forms and come to no solid conclusions, but I still believe that it's morally wrong to steal from ANY person or culture--yet I believe that to create a work that is derivative is okay, and that except for the most experimental of works, most works are in fact derivative of what has come before in some degree..in varying degrees..

It's a big, messy world..

Mike

Last edited by Michael Zaneski; 08/05/19 06:52 PM.
Fate doesn't hang on a wrong or right choice
Fortune depends on the tone of your voice

-The Divine Comedy (Neil Hannon)
from the song "Songs of Love"
from the album "Casanova" (1996)