One thing that drew me to the course “Boston Jazz Now” was jazz’s spontaneity. I was impressed by the performers’ knack for taking an original piece as an inspiration and improvising to create a whole different sound. Upon listening to jazz performances in various concerts, I wondered: if jazz is an improvisatory art, how are both the composers’ original pieces and the performers’ original improvisations protected? Hence, my paper “Questioning the Copyright Act: Is Copyright Doing It Right?” challenges the efficacy of the current copyright law and its application to jazz. It seeks to assess whether the law keeps the fine balance between guaranteeing rights of composers’ intellectual properties and preventing any exploitation of performers’ creative improvisation.
JUNG HYUN (CLAIRE) PARK is a rising sophomore in Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Psychology. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Cebu, Philippines, she graduated from Cebu International School where she garnered her interest in music and law. She would like to dedicate this essay to her professor—Dr. Thomas Oller—who is too humble to realize how much he inspires, guides, and helps his students. Furthermore, she would like to dedicate the piece to her family that supports her at any moment, making her every day possible.