Educational Media Reviews Online

Narrated by Naomi Klein and taking its name from the term coined by Kembrew McLeod, Associate Professor Department of Communication Studies, University of Iowa, Freedom of Expression explores the multifarious world of copyright and how intellectual property law prohibits the free expression of ideas.

Containing several interviews from many intellectual authorities in the field of copyright and democracy, including McLeod, Stanford Law Professor, Lawrence Lessig and Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Sut Jhally among others, it provides a thorough history of copyright law in the United States tracing the timeline of certain events that have gone widely unnoticed by the general public. In the age of digital information, the video does a remarkable job of explaining how the law is misinterpreted or skewed at times to benefit the companies with more political pull and name recognition. Citing legal cases and giving examples of people and companies which have been held liable for copyright infringement, Freedom of Expression is a must for anyone teaching a media study, library science or copyright law. The video should spur on classroom discussions and get students to think about what they see and experience everyday. It is a great resource for video collections in all schools and libraries.