Plágio, pirataria, tecnologia nas artes: a plunderfonia de John Oswald e as tecnologias em uma perspectiva CTS

Abstract

Plunderphonics is a concept introduced by Canadian musician John Oswald (1985) at the Wired Society Electro-Acoustic Conference in Toronto. Oswald argues that the use of samples should be unrestricted, regardless of permission or payment of royalties, as long as clear reference to the original artist is maintained. Plunderphonics critiques the formation and functioning of copyright laws, drawing on the history of their creation, the influence of technology on musical composition and consumption, and the everevolving role of the audience in relation to these technologies. This dissertation aims to investigate Oswald’s critique of copyright laws through a Science, Technology, and Society (STS) perspective, relating the author’s writings to the historical context of the creation of these laws. Using the theoretical frameworks of Andrew Feenberg and Langdon Winner, this dissertation seeks to explore the debates surrounding plagiarism through the lens of three specific cases of artistic creation based on pre-existing works: Sherrie Levine’s After Walker Evans (1981); Brazilian DJ Masa’s QQVCQUER Remix (2012); and Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy music video (2019). By analysing the gaps in plunderphonic discussions, its limitations and possibilities, and identifying issues that arise in artistic practice, the research aims to deepen the critique of the current functioning of copyright laws, thus assessing the viability of plunderphonics.