After three days of intense discussion and with a reduced audience, the Economies of the Commons 2 conference was closed with the best session that could have possibly done it.
With the screening of “The best of the Oxcars”, a compilation of three big gala-performances over the last three years in Barcelona defined by the collective behind them, EXGAE as “The biggest event of free culture ever”, the Oxcars renew the concept of award ceremony.
The idea and the goal of these galas celebrated with around 2000 attendants each year is not to award, but to show open initiatives in the most varied and bizarre categories (from Animation, films or TV shows to “granted lawsuit”). At the same time, they educate the audience in the terms and advantages of free culture –interesting reminder on how free culture is not “gratis” culture with a mixed tone of humor and activism.
Looking at the list of winners and awards, we can see recognition to great open initiatives such as the Blender foundation or Guillermo Zapata’s “Lo que tu quieras oír” short film. (Whatever you want to hear) At the same time, there was also room to showcase the works and creations of individuals who defy the all mighty rights collection associations, like the SGAE, the biggest of these associations in Spain, one of the most hated institutions of the country. But participatory culture was also present in this showcase under the motto “do it at home, it’s legal”.
But if there’s something to be missed in this last session is a better explanation of what lies beyond this fun performance. Simona Levi, member of the EXGAE collective that presented and commented the video mentioned the hundreds of thousands of responses from the civil society against laws cutting users rights and how in 2009 the pressure of internet users got the minister of culture to be released of his duties.
Nevertheless, for an international audience unaware of the extremes the greed of SGAE can reach or the mafia-like behaviors that keep artists and creators scared of open in some times, maybe that was not enough.
I think it’s important that the international community, and specially the international open content community realizes the extreme situation that Spain faces, with law projects to allow disconnection from the internet to users who make “illegal downloads” (although Spanish law recognizes the right to private copy). It is exactly that situation, that limit situation to the users rights that encourages a cornered society to fight, while the government (no matter the name of the minister of it’s theoretically left-winged) keeps siding with abusive collectors and proprietary-closed culture.
To finish giving some supporting substance to the critic, I’d like to point out the video also had time to mention the case of a shop tender from Barcelona who was sued for 100.000€ by the SGAE for playing music in her store and after six years of court, finally won her case. This, together with the fact that the digital levy the SGAE has been collecting for years (taxing everybody that bought paper, printers, hard drives or anything that might eventually be used for piracy) is being declared illegal and over 1 billion € will have to be returned helps us keep the hope that, even in Spain, it’s not too late for the open culture.
If you want to know more about the Oxcars awards and EXGAE, or just have a fun time watching some of the prizes, I recommend you have a look at their website.