but ’tis not necessarily folly to be wise – just somewhat less convenient at times.
This morning something (what is another post) reminded me how much fun I used to have ‘rewriting’ Dr. Seuss. Yes, rewriting. Keeping the original meter and ring, but using the old-and-familiar to riff on the new-and-deserving-of-snark. The good doctor gave me some of my more memorable Pinatas of Fisk, and I’m grateful for it.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the line I earned a law degree, and a license to practice, and even farther along (farther up and farther in, as some might say) I made a commitment to practice for the team in white hats. More specifically, to practice intellectual property law on behalf of the White Hats.
Which, you may ask, has precisely what to do with denying the rest of us humorous renditions of re-written Seuss classics?
Precisely this, and precisely that: you can’t steal Seuss’ poetry and wear a whitish hat.
Or, in English: it’s the difference between parody and satire. Parody, which makes fun of the original, is fair use. Satire, which uses the original to make fun of something else, is (regrettably) copyright infringement. And though I blog here without personal names (or pronouns) I have a moral duty not to do what I send snarky letters to others about. At least, no more often than I can help.
But, while I’m being good, I can at least post and whimper about it to the vast reaches of the Internet. Not that I expect any sympathy, mind you. It’s neither deserved nor anticipated.
I will snicker softly to myself, however, at the knowledge that now the rest of you have no more excuse than I do, because you know the difference too.
