06/10/2026
Join us next week for the thesis defense of Antonio Zingaro on Tuesday, 13th of October.
13.10.2026 | 13:00 at Interface Cultures, 3rd Floor, Domgasse, Kunstuniversität Linz
‘Please Keep Seeding, A Defense of Digital Piracy Against Copyright’s Moral Panic’
Piracy has developed alongside the technologies used to copy, distribute, and access culture. This thesis follows its development from printed books to file-sharing networks and streaming platforms. It looks at how copyright affects ownership, access to culture, cultural preservation, and creative labour. The research combines artistic practice, a literature review, interviews, and the analysis of media-art projects. Interviews with authors working in the field of cinema, music, and publishing show that unauthorised circulation can have very different effects. Participants described concerns about income, recognition, and control over their work, while some also associated piracy with visibility, discovery, and access for audiences excluded by price or availability. Copyright offers formal protection, but it does not always ensure fair pay, easy access to culture, or long-term preservation. The art projects discussed in this thesis make the hidden systems behind copying and sharing easier to see. They raise questions about authorship, ownership, and the power of digital platforms. The thesis proposes a broader response to piracy: affordable legal access paired with fair remuneration, public support for artists, and stronger conditions for creative work.
