4. WIRED magazine's intellectual property issue, with copyright-free CD

Wired,
originally uploaded by Art or Idiocy?.

What a great idea – no one complains about receiving free stuff. Plus, it's free stuff in the name of utopian cultural exploration: the disc includes songs from various musicians who invite listeners to become users by borrowing and sampling at will. In light of the litany of RIAA suits against music downloaders and filesharers and the debate about sampling, mashing and whatever other pop terms apply, it's nice to see there are still some who advocate a more progressive model of creative exchange. As organizations move ever onward toward greater and greater deregulation, privatization and centralization of power, ideas rarely get realized without the promise of (immense) profit. Now, shows like American Idol make money off of what companies previously had to pay for: product testing.
Aside: Critiquing the thought-narrowing effects of PowerPoint, and now this? David Byrne rules!