Blanch It, Mix It, Mash It - Thomas M. Cooley Law School

524 THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW REVIEW [Vol. 28:3
culture and the law are interlaced to such an extent that a sudden shift
in one will be felt in the other. 283 “We can’t predict how technology
will change music, so more fair uses may manifest in the future. The
flexibility of the fair use doctrine will allow the law to adapt to these
changes in technology and society.” 284
CONCLUSION
The ultimate goal of copyright is embodied in the fair use
doctrine. To progress is to push known limits. By reevaluating our
past and recontextualizing the views and attitudes of the former time,
our culture is able to build from our accomplishments and better our
society as a whole. The mashup, by definition, recontextualizes
preexisting ideas into a new expression. The mashup may be the
single most effective vehicle of Progress that our world has ever
seen. With its application present in the arts, education, and digital
infrastructure, we stand in the early stages of a mashup movement. If
we are to maximize the benefits of this movement, then the law must
be willing to accept the mashup as an integral part of our culture and
remove the governor from this vehicle of Progress.
DANIEL CHERRY *
283. See Tang, supra note 56, at 102.
284. Mongillo, supra note 50, at 31–32.
* Daniel Cherry is in his third term at Thomas M. Cooley Law School and is
enrolled in the J.D./LL.M. program for Intellectual Property. A senior member of
the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, Daniel works alongside his fellow Assistant
Board of Editors. Before entering Cooley he received his bachelor’s degree from
Central Michigan University’s School of Music. There he studied double bass and
performed as a member of the CMU Symphony Orchestra.