Hello! Thank you for your responses.
Let’s quickly address all your points!
1.
https://bsky.app/profile/alexander-avila.bsky.social/post/3loefumhh4c2f
Alex, we moved forward on our copyright infringement claims. What you describe is factually incorrect. The claims we did get fully denied on were DMCA claims, and breach of contract claims. That’s it. Us moving forward with our copyright claims literally contradicts your statement that the derivative works claims got dismissed. They didnt! We’re literally in discovery for this! Here’s the judge’s full order for you to see.
2.
https://bsky.app/profile/alexander-avila.bsky.social/post/3loefumiefs2f
We released our lawsuit in January 2023, and it took until August 2024 to be allowed to move forward on copyright infringement and trade dress violations claims. The bar to move forward is not a simple one, especially with a judge as respected and as thorough as ours. Also again, we did move forward on copyright infringement claims, which is something you claim was dismissed when it wasnt. Did you have legal assistance making this video btw? Why didn’t you reach out to any of us?
I would’ve gladly discussed our legal history of what went down and didn’t.
Another thing I will say as well, HOW you present things is also an important aspect to this conversation. Storytelling is pivotal in these long term essays, and what you choose to highlight vs what you choose to downplay really says a lot .
In this instance you really impress on the viewer all the supposed claims that did not make it (when they did). Then quickly discuss we did move forward with our lawsuit, then felt the need to immediately claim it’s not that big of a deal (01:40:21) when it is, utilizing my own post as the only source claiming it was a big deal which felt…kinda low? idk.
3.
https://bsky.app/profile/alexander-avila.bsky.social/post/3loefunzpj22f
But if its not a search engine, you cant judge it like a search engine….
Like GenAi is not at all like any of the things you mentioned, not Google books or any search engines, it behaves differently, it works differently, and is being challenged in the courts differently. So why do you even feel the need to make the comparison, at all?
4.
https://bsky.app/profile/alexander-avila.bsky.social/post/3loefunzqic2f
Lets be real, your whole video essentially makes this claim over and over. That our efforts will benefit corporations is one of THE main arguments of your video, and you utilize me and Concept Art Association quite often to portray us as best as unwitting participants in this ridiculous corporate game. I mean for fuck’s sake in 01:45:40 you introduce me and the CAA with music in the background that is pretty evil. These are stylistic choices you made to push your story. And in your story, our efforts lead either willingly or unwillingly, to corporate gain.
But in stating this you downplay how giant corporations are ALREADY gaining from our subjugation, and that’s big tech. You also ignore the actual studio stance, which is against many of the things and initiatives we’re working on. Which begs the question, why did you not reach out to the Concept Art Association? Why not discuss with actual artists organizations and organizers what their aims and goals are rather than assume, impose and speak for them?
Had you talked to us we would’ve told you the real enemy in this are work for hire contracts that take away so many of our rights. We could’ve told you the way we would want copyrights to be reformed, but also in the way our entire industries run because of copyrights.
On the Copyright Alliance, none of us ever claimed to fully support all aspects of the Copyright Alliance! But early on we knew we needed to be in all sorts of different spaces to share our issues. And on any political matter this is something we need to do. This was no different.
In the same way literal artists unions are also a part of the Copyright Alliance, as they need to ensure their membership is represented in major coalitions. Which is something you continue to ignore…
Now I wont say I love our current system of lobbyists influence, not all the players in it, nor again, do I support all the different Copyright Alliance stances…but what you’re asking of artists is not to be in the spaces that can best push our advocacy forward, because you disagree with a section of the Copyright Alliance clients list, while ignoring the literal unions they also represent. Unions the CAA organizes with .
Also I see you mentioned DAIR ( https://bsky.app/profile/alexander-avila.bsky.social/post/3loep55vqhs2r ) Fun note the Concept Art Association has collaborated with DAIR, for online townhalls back in 2023? Here’s a panel they held with DAIR’s founder dr. Timnit Gebru
https://youtu.be/lGq7S1q4T7c?si=kAcwdVv0f-V3nS_A
I mean hell, I’m literally in Japan right now because I attended a DAIR funded panel, concerning GenAi and its impact on artists.
5. https://bsky.app/profile/alexander-avila.bsky.social/post/3loefushphd2f
I see you skipped 5. Guess you did truly introduce me with nefarious music. Thanks for intentionally doing that to a literal stranger.
Anyhow moving on
6.
https://bsky.app/profile/alexander-avila.bsky.social/post/3loefushphd2f
Now regarding the Author’s Alliance (AA).
The use of ONLY the Authors Alliance to discuss these matters is arguably the most exemplary part of your disconnect with some of the labour class behind harmed by AI. The AA is entirely composed of academics and legal scholars with a minority of working writers. It shouldn't be too hard to understand how a group of academic writers who are funded by stipends and grants (where big tech is a sizable influence), would be proponents of open access to information, and indeed it is the standard in some academic fields. These are professionals who compose a small part of the writing industry, and their interests and experiences expressly do not represent the majority of people like copy writers, contract journalists, and small-time authors who need the slim protections intellectual property affords their living. Here's an explainer about that disconnect
Dating back to the Author’s Alliance inception:
https://authorsguild.org/news/what-is-the-authors-alliance/
From where I stand, your centering of the AA— a group that was founded by academics, not authors, who who took a deceptive name to confuse people away from the Authors Guild and who align with big tech—strongly feels like astroturfing, taking the minority interest, and presenting it as the general opinion of writers :
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-astroturfing-definition-and-examples-5082082
Similarly, as a fellow worker in the creative industry, you need to understand that there are a lot of us who depend on our ability to clock in and out at a studio or secure freelance jobs to be able to afford life. I'd be glad to explain more about how folks earn a living in the arts, and you'll find that we are very much workers just like those represented by the Turkopticon group you featured. Furthermore, in our solidarity efforts, we have engaged with activists and researchers on that segment of the data pipeline for AI, and we believe our goals are aligned in guaranteeing better working conditions for those who create and process "data".
It also says a lot about your own biases and message that you solely feature voices from the AA, an org that again, was founded by academics who are not authors, to share their concerns on lawsuits brought up by actual working artists…while completely ignoring or even speaking to actual artistic labor groups organizing on this issue on behalf of creative workers. In fact even worse, you portray those creative orgs, as corporate shills, while giving a pass to the AA, which aligns over and over with big tech interests.
And honestly, Alex? From one leftist to another, featuring corporate aligned voices while shunning labor is…a shame.
There’s so much more about the video i have grievances with. From the big to the small. But the one thing that’s most upsetting is that you take aim at good creative worker orgs who are punching above their weight to try and protect our rights and livelihoods…and you didnt even bother to talk to them. And now you spread misrepresentations of our stances, misinformation on our efforts and your clear biases to a large audience who doesn’t know better, making it harder for anyone organizing and advocating for working artists.
So..it’s upsetting to say the least
Also one last note. On 01:45:47 , you also misrepresented what I’m personally about. I’m not against the current uses of GenAi, I’m against the exploitative practices of GenAi of utilizing our own works, without our consent, credit or compensation, to then compete in our own markets. It’s a bit picky, yes, but the distinction is important.
With that said I end my extremely long post. I should really focus on the rest of my travels lol
But thank you for your time and do consider, whose voices you elevate, and whose voices you stomp on, especially with your platform. Thanks.
Thank you.