Intellectual Property
May 19, 2007 at 7:29 pm (Poetry)
For years traditions have been blessed
With the oldest form of largesse
From a host a bequest
Rights and property to a guest
For West Coast Natives in B.C.
To sing and dance for company
One needs permission granted, you see
To perform someone else’s work for thee
Whenever I witness a First Nations dance
It is always mentioned, and not happenstance,
A thankful remark for having the chance
To perform another clan’s special dance
Copyright laws of this century
Spur lawsuits for people downloading free
We’d be rid of Mariahs, Justins, and Britneys
Oh the changes we’d see in that industry!
Only the Fitzgeralds, the Kings and the like
Those for whom music is not just a hype
Their bodies and souls require their type
To keep singing and playing, regardless of shite
