Bob Ostertag annuncia l'apertura del suo nuovo sito web, dove è possibile ottenere gratuitamente tutti - o quasi - i materiali sonori di cui possiede personalmente i diritti. Questo allo scopo di diffondere maggiormente la propria musica, ma anche in aperta opposizione a ogni restrittiva concezione del copyright e a quanti speculano sui diritti di proprietà intellettuale. Nel sito ci sono biografia e discografia aggiornate, recensioni, uno spazio di discussione su temi musicali e politici, notizie su concerti e attività recenti e un cospicuo archivio di scritti.
Questo il comunicato di Ostertag: "I am very happy to announce the launch of my new web site. Most significantly, the site hosts free downloads of all of my recorded works to which I have the rights. I am doing this both to make my music more widely available, and also as a political move in opposition to the interests which have turned "intellectual property rights" into a battering ram for corporate power. You will find a brief statement on this topic on the home page of the site. I will likely be publishing more on this topic in the near future.
In addition to the free downloads, the site includes:
- A blog, which will be updated semi-regularly with posts on music and politics.
- A writing section featuring books and articles. Those of you who know me primarily as a musician may be surprised by this section, but I have been writing a good deal again. My second book, which is a history of the journalism of social justice movements in America, will shortly be published by Beacon Press, and a collection of essays on music and politics should follow not long after that.
- A fairly decent archive of reviews and articles on my work. It is not comprehensive, but there is far more material than has been previously available.
- Everything concert organizers might need to present a show, including descriptions of current projects, technical riders, photos, bios, program notes, etc.
- A list of upcoming concerts (that I will try to keep up-to-date)