Creative Commons and Appropriation: Implicit Collaboration in Digital Works

Abstract

Appropriation is a common practice in art and literature; electronic literature in particular lends itself readily to appropriation and collaboration, due to its multimodal and born-digital nature. This paper presents practice-based research examining the effects of digital appropriation on two works of digital fiction (a hyperfiction and an interactive fiction), demonstrating how it alters the creative writer’s typical process, as well as the resulting narrative itself. This practice of appropriation results in “implicit collaboration” between the digital creative writer and those whose work is appropriated, an arguable form of shared authorship. Questions regarding the ethics of this practice, including copyright concerns and authorship, are discussed.

Keywords

• appropriation
• digital fiction
• practice-based research
• electronic literature
• implicit collaboration
• authorship
• creative writing
• internet gift economy
• ethics