Discover
Copyright Criminals examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law, and (of course) money. This documentary traces the rise of hip-hop from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry. For more than thirty years, innovative hip-hop performers and producers have been re-using portions of previously recorded music in new, otherwise original compositions. When lawyers and record companies got involved, what was once referred to as a borrowed melody became a copyright infringement.
Original Release
05/21/2009
US Release
05/21/2009
Links
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| D.J. Abilities | Self |
| Aesop Rock | Himself / Self |
| Steve Albini | Self |
| Harry Allen | Self |
| Anthony Berman | Self |
| Matt Black | Self |
| Jeff Chang | Self |
| Chuck D. | Himself / Self |
| George Clinton | Himself / Self |
| Danger Mouse | Self |
Directors
Kembrew McLeod, Benjamin Franzen
Writers
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| D.J. Abilities | Self |
| Aesop Rock | Himself / Self |
| Steve Albini | Self |
| Harry Allen | Self |
| Anthony Berman | Self |
| Matt Black | Self |
| Jeff Chang | Self |
| Chuck D. | Himself / Self |
| George Clinton | Himself / Self |
| Danger Mouse | Self |
| Drew Daniel | Self |
| Joanna Demers | Self |
| Ian Edgar | Self |
| El-P | Himself / Self |
| M.C. Eyedea | Self |
| Sage Francis | Himself / Self |
| Kenneth D. Freundlich | Self |
| Pam the Funkstress | Self / Herself |
| Bobbito Garcia | Himself / Self |
| Mia Garlick | Self |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Kembrew McLeod | Executive Producer |
| Sarah Price | Producer |
| Sasha Waters Freyer | Producer |
| Kembrew McLeod | Producer |
| Benjamin Franzen | Producer |
