In an ever changing society connected via broadband, knowledge and entertainment have taken on a new form that is more attainable but at the same time less tangible.  With a lack of control over the dissemination of information, music and video, companies have been folding left and right, or at the very least, fighting to adapt from the traditional business model that made them billions over the past decades.  This chaos has opened doors for people with a unique understanding of how to profit from sharing technology & other intellectual property, but there is still a mystery surrounding this new acumen.

Thanks to Hip-Hop nonprofit Words, Beats, & Life (www.wblinc.org) Washington, DC will play host to the 2nd annual Bootleg Festival which is FREE to the public.  The name comes from the idea that Hip-Hop (as well as other art genres) have created a new underground economy built on production and distribution outside of the system.  This unique forum will provide all types of entertainment from independent film, visual art, poetry, to music but most importantly will facilitate numerous workshops on how to become a do-it-yourself auteur, music label, or media moguel.

The Bootleg Festival will consist of hands on hip-hop workshops for youth, film screenings, panel discussions, a concerts and an art installation: History of the Mixtape. More than anything, it will offer DC residents an opportunity to experience something not often seen in commercial media: hip-hop’s underground economy. This festival is designed to shine light on contradictions in hip-hop and its contributions to the larger dialogue about popular culture, globalization, and how hip-hop reflects and resists both. There is a specific focus on explaining how to produce, distribute and profit from the creation of media. This includes exploring hip-hop’s relationship to intellectual property, copyright, trademarks and bootlegging. You can download the full agenda, purchase festival passes and preview films at the official blog:

www.bootlegfestdc.com