REBECCA GIBLIN: Chokepoint capitalism is screwing creatives…and you!
Feb 21, 2023
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Rebecca Giblin, Melbourne Law School professor, discusses how Big Tech billionaires are choking creatives and customers in various industries. They explore examples from music, live events, and the content industry, highlighting the consequences of corporate concentration. The podcast also covers the impact of targeted ads, the need for systemic change, and the power of collective action for positive change.
Chokepoint capitalism enables big tech companies to exploit creatives through low royalties and abusive behaviors.
Combating chokepoint capitalism requires collective action, demanding transparency, and supporting guilds and unions.
Deep dives
The Dangers of Choke Point Capitalism
Choke Point Capitalism, as discussed in the podcast, refers to the excessive corporate concentration that allows big tech companies and conglomerates to exploit creators and workers in various industries. This concentration of power leads to unfair practices like low royalties, secretive contracts, and abusive behaviors towards artists and suppliers. For example, the podcast highlights the case of Audible Gates, where authors were forced to pay back royalties when their books were returned, leading to significant losses. The podcast also mentions the choke hold that major record labels have on the music industry, controlling almost 70% of recorded music and dominating the streaming industry. The negative impact of choke point capitalism extends beyond the creative fields, affecting suppliers, farmers, and small businesses. The podcast emphasizes the importance of combating this issue and presents ways to bring about change, including demanding transparency, fighting for fair contracts and copyrights, and supporting guilds and unions in advocating for creators' rights. By addressing the systemic issues of choke point capitalism, there is hope for a more equitable and inclusive future for all creators and workers.
Uniting Against Corporate Concentration
The podcast highlights the need for a collective fight against corporate concentration and its detrimental effects on creators, workers, and consumers. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing that the inequalities and exploitations faced by artists are part of a larger systemic issue that impacts various industries. By uniting different movements and understanding the interconnectedness of these struggles, there is a greater chance to effect meaningful change. The podcast discusses the role of unions and guilds in advocating for fair treatment and highlights examples, such as the Writers Guild of America, that successfully fought against conflicts of interest and unfair practices in the entertainment industry. It also stresses the significance of demanding transparency rights, reforming contract laws, and supporting policies that promote fair compensation and distribution of value. By coming together, individuals can challenge the power dynamics and work towards creating a more just and inclusive society.
Shifting the Paradigm and Building Community
The podcast encourages shifting the paradigm away from the current exploitative model of corporate concentration towards one that supports creators, workers, and communities. It emphasizes the need for systemic change rather than relying solely on individual actions or consumer choices. The podcast underlines the importance of building connections and community to drive collective action. By engaging in dialogue, demanding better policies from policymakers and regulators, and supporting movements that challenge monopolistic practices, individuals can contribute to reshaping the system. The podcast also highlights the power of collective bargaining and emphasizes the significance of community in creating a more sustainable and fulfilling future. Ultimately, the podcast expresses hope that by addressing the root causes of choke point capitalism and working together, a better and more equitable future can be achieved.
The Fight for a Better Future
The podcast portrays the fight against choke point capitalism as a collective effort to not only improve the conditions of creators and workers, but also to create a better world overall. It draws parallels between different movements, such as the climate activism movement, and highlights the interconnectedness of various struggles. The podcast stresses that fighting for fair treatment and compensation is a fight for a good life, where individuals can reclaim their connection to each other and to the planet. It emphasizes the importance of pushing for systemic changes, demanding transparency and fair contracts, and focusing on community building. By seeing the fight against choke point capitalism as an opportunity for positive transformation, there is hope for a future where individuals are empowered, creativity is nurtured, and economic systems are more just and sustainable.
Rebecca Giblin (author Chokepoint Capitalism, media academic) joins me to explain how the Big Tech squillionaires are choking creatives – musicians, authors, screenwriters etc – and their customers. And in so doing, killing culture. Hmmm….
Rebecca is a Melbourne Law School professor specialising in creators’ rights and the director of the Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia. Her new book Chokepoint Capitalism (co-written with LA-based bestselling science fiction writer and Boing Boing website owner Cory Doctorow) was awarded a Financial Times' “best books of 2022” gong and is one the most talked about polemics doing the podcast rounds.
In this chat, we discuss the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster debacle, “chickenization” (how the lock-in tactics used by Monsanto are now applied to live music), whether Spotify playlists are part of the problem, and what we can all do to win back culture again! A must-listen for creatives, music lovers, concert-goers.