Software: Work or Labor?
Is software work or is it labor, asks David M. Berry in the Free Software Magazine. He refers to Hannah Arendt’s distinction of labor and work.
Following the Ancient Greek tradition, Arendt defines labor as something done of necessity. Labor used to be the duty of slaves, now it has become the life of the masses, something that docile bodies do to “make their living”. Work is seen as an activity that creates something that lasts. Work is important because it makes politics possible:
This is important because it is only by escaping necessity (i.e. the constant requirement to produce things we need) that we can begin to communicate and become human as political animals. For Arendt, Work is a prerequisite for the possibility of Action – the realm of great deeds and great words.
Berry argues (like Marxists and the critical theory before him) that in today’s society, we’re all caught in a spiral of laboring and consuming and always alienated from the product of our work. Free software is promising in this respect because the products of free software activities are work - something that lasts - and also commons, i.e. something everybody has access to.
Free software certainly has liberating potential but what makes hacking possible, economically? Free software might turn labor into work, but at whose expence? While we build an information society here in the North, we’re at the same time “outsourcing” the labor into the South in the form of production of food, clothing and electronics. And often on not so fair terms.
That’s All Rights Reversed
First Grey Album, now The Beastles.
Legally, The Beatles albums will begin entering the public domain in 2013. dj BC’s remix is an courageous act of civil disobedience which hopefully will help in the fight for free (digital) culture.
EMI owns the rights to the Beatles material. From their commercial viewpoint, these remixes are using material they “own”. From the viewpoint of culture, these remixes are interesting comments in two debates. The first one is about the debate on “intellectual property”. The another one is a debate of western popular music. What Beatles did in the 60’s and 70’s had a great effect on popular music of today. With their remixes, Dangermouse and dj BC are discussing with the 60’s rock of Beatles. I like these remixes, but not because they are “versions of Beatles” but because they are brilliant compositions of material old and new.
“That’s All Right” by Elvis will enter public domain in EU January 1st next year.
