Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back

Mar 10, 2023

11:30am – 12:30pm CT

Recording: Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back, Mar 10, 2023

In a call to action for the creative class and labor movement, Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin’s new book documents how an ever-expanding constellation of industries are now monopolies or monopsonies—or both.

All workers are weakened by this, but the problem is especially well-illustrated by the plight of creative workers. From Amazon’s use of digital rights management and bundling to radically change the economics of book publishing, to Google and Facebook’s siphoning away of ad revenues from news media, and the Big Three record labels’ use of inordinately long contracts to up their own margins at the cost of artists, chokepoints are everywhere.

Chokepoint Capitalism is a call to workers of all sectors to unite to help smash these chokepoints and take back the power and profit that’s being heisted away—before it’s too late. Book signing to follow.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.

photo of Cory Doctorow
photo of Rebecca Giblin
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