The last reading of the semester out of Lessig's Remix has numerous connections to the video we watched in class, RIP: A Remix Manifesto. Lessig touches on the aspect of hybrid economies and the importance of continued innovation within them. He also touched on open source software by comparing it to the invention of a new kind of high-pressure train engine two centuries ago. The innovator, Richard Trevithick, decided to not patent the machinery, but gave the design to the public for people to make changes and improvements, free of charge. The video showed a member of Girl Talk and he was talking about the importance of sharing ideas for the sake of of everyone's benefit and further advance in an industry.
Another connection that I found between the reading and the video was the content sharing site, Creative Commons. While reading Lessig's Remix, he talks at length about the site and how it benefits everyone involved, for free, while not going outside the copyright laws. Creative Commons is innovative in that it gives creators and users tools that let them tweak, remix, and even distribute without worrying about copyright issues. The members of Girl Talk also referred to Creative Commons and the value that it carries. The site carries a sharing economy that both Lessig and Girl Talk give praise.
The last connection that I want to talk about is the overall remix culture that Lessig and Girl Talk talk extensively about. By "remix culture" they mean a mix of the commercial and sharing economies and making a hybrid economy. Since there can't be just one commercial economy and one sharing one, we all live in a hybrid economy. We share resources through complex social relations as well as pay a commercial economy for essential resources. These connections are important to know so we can do what is best for a society.
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