http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUW_8cWG7YA (Under Pressure- David Bowie and Queen)

vs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog8ou-ZepE (Ice Ice Baby- Vanilla Ice)

Both of these songs are very popular and very much the same. The background beat of "Under Pressure" was stolen by Vanilla Ice. Controversy over the stolen beat still continues to this day. Vanilla Ice claims that his beat is different than Bowies, because his has an extra "do" in it. If you listen very closely you can sort of hear it. But casually listening to it, you would never be able to tell the difference.

In this case I think that Vanilla Ice flat out ripped off David Bowie. In instances like one musician taking the beats or lyrics from one song and blandly putting it in theirs, is wrong. But for "mash ups" and remixes I think it is okay. Because the people making them are typically not trying to pass it as their own work. They are simply combining multiple songs into one. For example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNzrwh2Z2hQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL, This song is in no way trying to take credit for all of the songs used, its simple putting all of them together to make a new sound. This song has 34 million views but doesn't make a penny off of it, the song isn't even on Itunes.

In the case of re creating art, I believe the same thing. It is wrong to repaint or recreate another's piece of art, not change anything and try to pass it off as yours. But there's a difference between the work we saw in class today by Picasso, and the re-do of Mona Lisa. They got the idea's from other artists but put their spin on it. In the case of Picasso, he even named it the same, so clearly people will know where he got the idea form.

Over all, I think it is wrong to flat out steal, versus take the idea and make it your own.