The links for Week 2’s readings surrounded the concepts of copyright and creative commons. Having researched the laws of copyright and appropriation in Art studies, it was interesting to note that the laws were exactly the same for music, literary works and computer software, as well as standard pieces of art like paintings and drawings. Copyright is applied to all works automatically at the moment of their creation and ensures that others cannot appropriate a copyrighted work in part or in whole without the permission of the original artist’s permission. However, creative commons gives creators the option to share their work with others more freely, essentially removing the hassle of having to grant permission every time someone wants to use the work. Creative commons also gives creators the option of  applying a more ‘refined’ license on their work. These include ‘non-commercial’, ‘no derivatives’ (meaning that the person who is going to use the work cannot alter it in any way) and ‘share alike’ (meaning it must be shared with the same licenses attached). In regards to Network Media, creative commons aids the interconnectedness of the cyber community, fostering the concept of ‘protected participation’, offering people the opportunity and encouraging them to allow others to use their work. Oh…and it lets people like me (a media student) appropriate and remix other creators’ works into something new!