[Scorpian]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWDsD6Zs_p0

Basically, 4'33" is a 100% silent song. It can be played on any instrument. You simply just need to not play it for four minutes thirty-three seconds.

Why is this funny? Check out the video. YouTube had to disable the audio track. In all technicality, there ISN'T an audio track. As a result, the disabled audio equals the original.

So what does this mean? Does WMG own all 4:33 sections of silence? If I create a YouTube video that is 4:33 long and has a silent audio track, will it be disabled as well?

You cannot copyright SILENCE.

The requirement of originality in copyright

For literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, there is a requirement of ‘originality’ in
order to obtain copyright in the work. In the leading case of University of London Press v London
Tutorial Press (1911) the Court stated that “the word ‘original’ does not mean that the work must
be an expression of original or inventive thought…the originality that is required is related to
the expression of thought”. This was emphasised in the later case of Ladbroke v William Hill
(1964) by Lord Pearce, who said that “the word ‘original’ does not demand original or inventive
thought, only that the work is not copied and derives from the author.” In this same case, Lord
Reid stated the test is most commonly used today as whether the author of the work has expanded
skill, judgment and labour in creating the work.

Source: www.lawdit.co.uk

Silence is but a straight line on an audio graph. I would argue on four fronts:

1. Intangibility of output of aforementioned work
2. Aforementioned work lack creativity beyond a "line connecting essentially two points", thus being nothing more than a simple geometric arrangement - which cannot be copyrighted.
3. Validity of [hypothetical] derived works. A silent score of 2 minutes, and so on.
4. Silence has existed for a very long time, more than the required 50 years, and thus I call to point that the copyright or claim thereto invalid.

[Quinine]

Kinda cool. The song changes every time I play it.

[Lucifer]

I'm glad I'm a halfway decent musician. I was able to master this song just in time for boot camp. Motherfuckers who didn't got their asses beat.

[Josh]

You must be so proud of yourself, Luci.

[Twerque]

Sept 28, 2010 11:35:40 GMT Josh said:

You must be so proud of yourself, Luci.

I know I'm proud of him.

[Lucifer]

Sept 28, 2010 11:35:40 GMT Josh said:

You must be so proud of yourself, Luci.

I really am. It was quite an accomplishment.

My reply was wasted, wasn't it?

[Scorpian]

Sept 28, 2010 23:36:25 GMT @newfieldgrafix said:

My reply was wasted, wasn't it?

That's what you get for attempting to be serious on the Internet.

[Lucifer]

Sept 28, 2010 23:36:25 GMT @newfieldgrafix said:

My reply was wasted, wasn't it?

No. Your reply was of "/thread" nature, so I didn't see the point in continuing on with it. Seemed pretty solid.

[Andrew McGivery]

Rules of the internet #20:

Nothing is to be taken seriously.

[Chris]

Rules of the internet #21:
Fredy should be taken seriously at all times. It makes things more humorous.

[Josh]

Rule 34:

The only reason the internet exists.

[Andrew McGivery]

You guys are doing it wrong.