【LHSS】Challenging Copyright: The Ethical Implications for Street Art and Non-Mainstream Practices

Title：Challenging Copyright: The Ethical Implications for Street Art and Non-Mainstream Practices

Speaker：Andrea L. Baldini 白龙, Changjiang Chair Professor, School of Arts, Peking University

Moderator：Norman Ho, Professor of Law, Peking University School of Transnational Law

Date and Time: November 22, 2024 (Friday), 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM (China Standard Time)

Venue: STL Building 209 

             Zoom Meeting ID: 823 8401 5981 Passcode: 222495

Langauge：English

About the Speaker:

Dr. Andrea L. Baldini is Changjiang Chair Professor at the School of Arts, Peking University, and the founding Editor-in-Chief of the East Asian Journal of Philosophy. His interdisciplinary research covers aesthetics, cultural studies, intellectual property law, and visual culture, with a focus on street art, graffiti, and public art. He holds doctorates in Philosophy from Temple University and Text Sciences from the University of Siena, and has authored three monographs, including A Philosophy Guide to Street Art and the Law (Brill). His work appears in leading journals such as Philosophy Compass and The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. Baldini has received many awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship and the Top Paper in Urban Communication award from the NCA.

Lecture Summary:

In this lecture, I will explore the ethical foundations of copyright, particularly challenging then common assumption that copyright is inherently beneficial for preserving and promoting all forms of art. When applied to street art and other non-mainstream art practices, copyright raises a moral dilemma that threatens their very essence. I argue that copyright inherently commodifies the practices it governs. This in turn can undermine their fundamental nature. In the case of street art, it strips away its subversive character, transforming it from a radical expression into a marketable product. By questioning the compatibility of copyright with the identity of street art, I seek to highlight the risks of applying current copyright laws indiscriminately to non-traditional art forms.