The Interested Observer

The Wall Street Journal reports that George Lucas has decided if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. The “Star Wars” creator and his company Lucasfilm has announced plans to make clips from the classic films available on Starwars.com for fans to mash-up anyway they want, any time they want. The Journal says the clips will be up on the Web site tomorrow as part of the 30th anniversary of the first (or fourth, depending on who you ask) “Star Wars” film. Lucasfilm also says it will add more clips in the months to come.

With the blessing of Mr. Lucas, fans can cut, add to and retool the clips. Then they can post their creations to blogs or social-networking sites like MySpace. More clips will come out from time to time over coming months.One category devoted to a much-maligned lizard-like character from the three “Star Wars” prequels urges fans: “Don’t be shy. Here’s your chance to edit Jar Jar.”

The WSJ also reports that a “You Tube search for “Star Wars” turns up some 98,000 results, which Lucasfilm can’t control or monetize.

Rather than issue take-down notices to 98,000 You Tube Star Wars groupies, Lucasfilm has decided instead to issue some rules. The mash-up project will come with rules, however. While it won’t stop anybody taking all kinds of creative license to create their own derivitie works. Lucas film working with Eyespot has set up a program to prevent nudity, pornography and the usual “I’ll know it when I see it” Eyespot has set up a program to make sure none of the doctored clips contain nudity, pornography, and the like. As a backup, a team of screeners will watch each video before it goes live.

Lucasfilm’s motivation for allowing — not prosecuting– mash-up artists is to keep fanning the flames of the “Star Wars” franchise and keep the movies alive in all forms for generations of fans. The company said it’s taking a long view of the franchise. “We understand social media and we are embracing it,” said a Lucasfilm spokesman.

Read the WSJ story here.

My interest in so-called “illegal art” goes way back to the early 1990s when Negativeland ambushed U2 in the pages of Mondo to ask for a simple explaination about the 180-page lawsuit citing Negativeland for copyright and trademark infringment (See for yourself if they had a case).

The Chilling Effects Web site points users to an entire exhibit of Illegal Art. I particularly liked David Byrne’s IBM mash-up, but do take a turn around this monument to derivitative works in a variety of media.

PS — I realize this is all a bit dated, but interesting nevertheless. The articles section is also worth a look.

Personally, I think politics always goes down better with a little music chaser.

This Tony Blair mash-up to the Clash song “Should I Stay or Should I Go” has been in wide distribution all over the Internets and I see no reason why it shouldn’t stop here as well. One can only wonder where the mash-up crowd will go once Google and it’s lawyers take the copyright disinfectant to YouTube. Sigh. But for now, enjoy.

The Tony Blair – Clash mash-up.

The Tony Blair – Bowie mash-up.