Creativity that counts

In a digital world, literature, art and music are often the result of collaborative efforts. But who owns what, and can copyright law cope? New research aims to find out. Authorship remains an important concept in the digital age, though there is real diversity in its meaning. Elena Cooper An apocalypse unfolds before the viewer's eyes, as microscopic dots appear, combine and 'consume' a work of art: digital artist Joseph Nechvatal destroys digital representations of his paintings by unleashing a computer virus that 'gnaws away' at his creation in real-time and, to do so, he collaborates with programmer Stéphane Sikora. Many artists like Nechvatal have embraced the benefits of working both digitally and collaboratively to create innovative pieces. The 52-member Intercontinental Music Lab, for instance, creates music that is inspired, arranged and written by different band members without them ever having to meet. "We all understand that the completed song can't exist without this collective creative input," explained founding partner Barney Brown.