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New EU Internet Copyright Bill, Articles 11 and 13

The infosphere is aflame with a new battle in an old war: how copyright should be handled on the Internet.

The Guardian has background:

It is an argument that has drawn in the likes of Paul McCartney, Plácido Domingo and the Vienna Philharmonic, as well as pioneers of the internet from Tim Berners-Lee to the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales.

Fought with hashtags, mailshots, open letters and celebrity endorsements, the battle over the European Union’s draft directive on copyright heads for a showdown this week.

After two years of debate, members of the European parliament will vote on Wednesday on the legislation, which could change the balance of power between producers of music, news and film and the dominant websites that host their work.

[…]

Critics claim the proposal will destroy the internet, spelling the end of sharing holiday snaps or memes on Facebook. Proponents are exasperated by such claims, described by German Christian Democrat Axel Voss as “totally wrong” and “fake news”.

Two sections in particular are controversial: Articles 11 and 13. Both sides (both sides!) are being very hyperbolic about these. The gist is that groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and people like Cory Doctorow say these are “internet-destroying regulations,” and the proponents’ response (from what I’ve seen on Twitter) is to paint all opponents as paid industry shills who hate artists. I’ve attempted here to come up with what I hope is an even-handed summary. I Am Not A Lawyer, so please tell me what I’ve gotten wrong.

This is a bit long, so click through if you’re interested. Note of course that these are EU laws, but so is the GDPR, and we’ve all experienced the effects of that. Continue reading →

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[Against Stupidity] Reflections on Over The River and Through The Woods

Against Stupidity

(Chapter 1 can be read beginninghere.)

There were a lot of things about the world of Against Stupidity that I didn’t really know when I started, like the exact layout of the house. I was getting tired of keeping it all in my head so I drew a map.

Grunwand haus map-2

This has rendered some of the drawings from chapter one inaccurate, but that’s just the way it goes. Specifically, the scenes at the staircase would be in the Northeast there, and that’s a little off. Then the hallway scenes above that on the second floor have an inaccurate placement of the balcony. But otherwise it’s good.

And this is just something that I knew was going to happen, since I started posting these before everything was fully formed, and I’m fine with that.

By the time I had drawn the cover, I was really itching to start publicizing this…

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Some Minor Arcana

Heya folks.

In the course of my duties writing & drawing strips for my webcomic Against Stupidity, I needed some paintings for a hallway that might show the progression of the seasons. So I made them of some tarot cards, inspired by the Rider-Waite deck. That particular deck is associated with Hermeticism and Hermetic Qabalah, the wellspring of much of the symbolism and whatnot you’ll be seeing relating to Grandma Clarita, if you decide to read the comic.

Anyway, I decided to make some individual images for the cards, so, here you go!

 

 

Share and enjoy, as they say.

Announcing: Against Stupidity – the Webcomic

Heya readers,

I’m pleased to announce the launch of my new public project, a webcomic named Against Stupidity. From the summary:

Meet Jesse Grunwald.

He just finished two years at community college in Santa Fe. In a fortuitous coincidence, earlier this year, he got offered a four-year scholarship at a Denver university and inherited his grandmother’s estate–a vintage victorian right by the lake in south Denver. Now it’s fall, and he’s moving in. He’s prepared to balance the quadruple demands of keeping up his GPA, holding down a job, making new friends, and keeping repairs up on the undoubtedly shitty car he’s about to buy. Unbeknownst to him, he’ll have to add two more demands–taking care of grandma’s pets, and holding up his magical karmic duties as the only grandchild of the powerful witch Clarita Grunwald.

I hope you’ll join and follow his adventures. Here’s the cover for Chapter 1, Over The River and Through The Woods:

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