Gregory Colbert: Animal Copyrights Foundation
I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Gregory Colbert speak at the TED conference where he made an extremely rare public appearance talking about his photographic journey and exhibition “Ashes and Snow”. He also spoke about his controversial initiative to start the “Animal Copyright Foundation”, which will aim to collect 1 percent of royalties from companies using images of animals in their ads and distribute these funds to conservation projects around the world, which could become the largest environmental fund in the world. He suggests we should renegotiate our contract with nature. It is common practice to compensate people for fair use of their images in advertising but this has not been the case for nature and animals.
I think this is a brilliant foundation to give back to nature and help keep it sustainable. There’s not much online about this foundation, but lookout for it soon.
more via ethanzuckerman
June 16th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
With all due respect, I think Colbert is a total, not partial, crank. Why not include flowers and insects? Does he honestly think that advertisers would voluntarily tithe 1% of their media budgets to support his kooky foundation? See this for what it is: grandiosity. The business world is to kneel at Colbert’s hem and give HIS foundation billions. Please.
June 16th, 2006 at 1:24 pm
yes, I can see your viewpoint as Colbert being a crank with many respects as many did, but there’s also something to say about nature and how society has treated it, especially here in the states. Y&R even did an ad campaign for the preservation of nature:
http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/manufacturing-arches.html
I’d hate to see nature go this way and the future of real nature become a disneyland like mechanical playground.
1 percent is a nice slice of the royalty, but I think the point is, to give something back to preserve nature, make it even .25 percent.
I do have a soft spot for preserving animal life and nature, but as a non-vegetarian, I guess I’d have a hard time debating that. I’m not too familiar with foundations for nature, but if there isn’t too many that really work, this would be a viable and interesting foundation to watch out for.
June 16th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
I saw Ashes and Show at the Nomadic Museum while it was out here in Santa Monica.
It was interesting to see different reactions from people. My roommate thought it was pretentious and contrived and didn’t stay long. My sister thought it was inspired and sensitive and got all teary eyed. Personally I had a relaxing hour in a cool space that was complemented with relaxing imagery and music – what else could you ask for to sure a friday night hangover.
Love the blog Tango, you’ve got a great habit of picking off the ripest fruit of the web.
DF
April 24th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
It’s truly interesting to observe the reactions of those who are here..And certainly for the ground that each stand, it is clear of how the reality of today and where nature stands is one that is greatly neglected due to the direction our society is moving..Gregory has brought up very important issues of today and come up with a brilliant idea in giving back to nature of what we humans have taken. And truly 1% if you think about it, is not enough for nature is very much at stake..The consumption of humankind has continued to rise and certainly many do not see the necessity of preserving nature due to the movement that is on the surface in wanting to built a technologycly and money dependant society..This may be our ultimate downfall..
Gregory is so gracious to have taken his time in his life in making this possible and for each and everyone all around the world to be touch by the beauty and also fragility of nature..Finally, these animals have a voice…
What is the use of money and comfort when the state of this world is moving towards destruction?
Here is a video of the issues that our country face due to globalization and also human weakness: Greed…
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1495946389926789579&q=Borneo&hl=en
Thank you Gregory for the courage taken in stepping out in the midst of your environment in sharing your concern and also idea…