Ashleigh Brilliant
Encyclopedia
Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant (born 9 December 1933 in London
, UK) is an author
and syndicated cartoonist
living in Santa Barbara, California
, USA. He is best known for his Pot-Shots, single-panel illustrations with one-line
humorous remarks, which began syndication in the United States of America in 1975. Brilliant achieved American citizenship in 1969.
Brilliant graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in history in 1964 and taught on a "Floating University" an educational cruise ship that travelled around the world in the mid-60s. He later taught at a community college in Bend, Oregon.
During the "Summer of Love" in San Francisco in 1967 he gave daily lectures near the Haight St. entrance of Golden Gate Park.
The Wall Street Journal
described him in a 1992 profile as "history's only full time, professional published epigram
matist."
At one time, there was some confusion and controversy as to the ownership and recognition of his unique art form. In a copyright infringement
suit filed by Brilliant, a United States federal judge has ruled that while short phrases are not eligible for copyright
, Brilliant's works were epigram
s and therefore copyrightable
(Brilliant v. W.B. Productions Inc., 1979).
While Brilliant employs a self-imposed limit of 17 words per epigram, he has actually written and published 41 with 18 words and one with 19 words (By the miracle of teaching, I can give you some of my ability, without losing any of it myself.)
In 1999 he authored the "Y1K Crisis" article which parodies the "Y2K Crisis
" of 1999.
Part of the counter-culture scene in San Francisco in the late 60s, Brilliant wrote and sang a series of parody songs about the hippie movement in Golden Gate Park as the hippie movement happened. Called "The Haight-Ashbury Songbook", the songs now appear on a CD collection available on his web site.
Brilliant is frequently asked about his real last name
, of which he says:
cites Ashleigh Brilliant as a "professional epigrammatist" who has been known to threaten legal action in order to display his market precedence over legally owned fragments of human language, thus managing to reveal one of the many absurdities behind "intellectual property", namely its ability to limit the free use and dissemination of human expression. When Brilliant finds someone who has "used" one of his epigrams, he contacts them demanding a payment for breach of copyright.
For instance, television journalist David Brinkley
wrote a book, Everyone is Entitled to My Opinion, the title of which he attributed to a friend of his daughter. Brilliant contacted Brinkley about copyright violation and Random House, Brinkley's publisher, paid Brilliant $1000 without contesting the issue.
In a separate 1979 case, a company copied two of Brilliant's phrases -- "I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent" and "I have abandoned my search for truth and am now looking for a good fantasy" -- and altered a third phrase, all for sale on t-shirt transfers. The district court acknowledged that the phrases were distinguished by conciseness, cleverness, and pointed observation, ruling that they were protected by copyright.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK) is an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and syndicated cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
living in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, USA. He is best known for his Pot-Shots, single-panel illustrations with one-line
One-liner joke
A one-liner is a joke that is delivered in a single line. A good one-liner is said to be pithy.Comedians and actors use this comedic method as part of their act, e.g...
humorous remarks, which began syndication in the United States of America in 1975. Brilliant achieved American citizenship in 1969.
Brilliant graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in history in 1964 and taught on a "Floating University" an educational cruise ship that travelled around the world in the mid-60s. He later taught at a community college in Bend, Oregon.
During the "Summer of Love" in San Francisco in 1967 he gave daily lectures near the Haight St. entrance of Golden Gate Park.
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
described him in a 1992 profile as "history's only full time, professional published epigram
Epigram
An epigram is a brief, interesting, usually memorable and sometimes surprising statement. Derived from the epigramma "inscription" from ἐπιγράφειν epigraphein "to write on inscribe", this literary device has been employed for over two millennia....
matist."
At one time, there was some confusion and controversy as to the ownership and recognition of his unique art form. In a copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
suit filed by Brilliant, a United States federal judge has ruled that while short phrases are not eligible for copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
, Brilliant's works were epigram
Epigram
An epigram is a brief, interesting, usually memorable and sometimes surprising statement. Derived from the epigramma "inscription" from ἐπιγράφειν epigraphein "to write on inscribe", this literary device has been employed for over two millennia....
s and therefore copyrightable
(Brilliant v. W.B. Productions Inc., 1979).
While Brilliant employs a self-imposed limit of 17 words per epigram, he has actually written and published 41 with 18 words and one with 19 words (By the miracle of teaching, I can give you some of my ability, without losing any of it myself.)
In 1999 he authored the "Y1K Crisis" article which parodies the "Y2K Crisis
Year 2000 problem
The Year 2000 problem was a problem for both digital and non-digital documentation and data storage situations which resulted from the practice of abbreviating a four-digit year to two digits.In computer programs, the practice of representing the year with two...
" of 1999.
Part of the counter-culture scene in San Francisco in the late 60s, Brilliant wrote and sang a series of parody songs about the hippie movement in Golden Gate Park as the hippie movement happened. Called "The Haight-Ashbury Songbook", the songs now appear on a CD collection available on his web site.
Brilliant is frequently asked about his real last name
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
, of which he says:
As far as I know, the name Brilliant is of Russian/Polish/Jewish origin, and is akin to other Jewish names related to precious metals and jewels, e.g. Gold, Silver, Diamond, Ruby, Pearl. (One meaning of brilliant is a kind of diamond.) These in turn relate to the kinds of trades in which many European Jews were engaged when, in the time of Napoleon, they were first required to take surnames.
Criticism
In an essay entitled Against intellectual property, Brian MartinBrian Martin (professor)
Brian Martin teaches in the interdisciplinary area of Science, technology, and society at the University of Wollongong in Australia, where he became a professor in 2007. He was president of Whistleblowers Australia from 1996 to 1999 and remains their International Director.Martin received his PhD ...
cites Ashleigh Brilliant as a "professional epigrammatist" who has been known to threaten legal action in order to display his market precedence over legally owned fragments of human language, thus managing to reveal one of the many absurdities behind "intellectual property", namely its ability to limit the free use and dissemination of human expression. When Brilliant finds someone who has "used" one of his epigrams, he contacts them demanding a payment for breach of copyright.
For instance, television journalist David Brinkley
David Brinkley
David McClure Brinkley was an American newscaster for NBC and ABC in a career lasting from 1943 to 1997....
wrote a book, Everyone is Entitled to My Opinion, the title of which he attributed to a friend of his daughter. Brilliant contacted Brinkley about copyright violation and Random House, Brinkley's publisher, paid Brilliant $1000 without contesting the issue.
In a separate 1979 case, a company copied two of Brilliant's phrases -- "I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent" and "I have abandoned my search for truth and am now looking for a good fantasy" -- and altered a third phrase, all for sale on t-shirt transfers. The district court acknowledged that the phrases were distinguished by conciseness, cleverness, and pointed observation, ruling that they were protected by copyright.
Books
All books published by Woodbridge Press (Santa Barbara, California)- I May Not Be Totally Perfect, but Parts of Me Are Excellent, and Other Brilliant Thoughts (1979), ISBN 0-912800-66-6, ISBN 0-912800-67-4
- I Have Abandoned My Search for Truth, and Am Now Looking for a Good Fantasy: More Brilliant Thoughts (1980), ISBN 0-912800-89-5, ISBN 0-912800-90-9 (paperback)
- Appreciate Me Now, and Avoid the Rush: Yet More Brilliant Thoughts (1981), ISBN 0-912800-97-6, ISBN 0-912800-94-1 (paperback)
- I Feel Much Better, Now That I've Given Up Hope: And Even More Brilliant Thoughts (1984), ISBN 0-88007-145-1, ISBN 0-88007-147-8 (paperback)
- All I Want Is a Warm Bed and a Kind Word and Unlimited Power: Even More Brilliant Thoughts (1985), ISBN 0-88007-155-9, ISBN 0-88007-156-7 (paperback)
- The Great Car Craze: How Southern California Collided with the Automobile in the 1920s (1989), ISBN 0-88007-172-9.
- Be a Good Neighbor, and Leave Me Alone: And Other Wry and Riotous Writings (1992), ISBN 0-88007-191-5, ISBN 0-88007-192-3 (paperback)
- I Try to Take One Day at a Time, but Sometimes Several Days Attack Me at Once: More Brilliant Thoughts Than Ever (1987), ISBN 0-88007-161-3, ISBN 0-88007-162-1 (paperback)
- We've Been Through So Much Together, and Most of It Was Your Fault: More and More Brilliant Thoughts (1990), ISBN 0-88007-182-6, ISBN 0-88007-183-4
- I Want to Reach Your Mind... Where Is It Currently Located?: More Incredibly Brilliant Thoughts (1994), ISBN 0-88007-203-2, ISBN 0-88007-204-0 (paperback)
- I'm Just Moving Clouds Today, Tomorrow I'll Try Mountains: And Other More or Less Blissfully Brilliant Thoughts (1998), ISBN 0-88007-221-0
External links
- AshleighBrilliant.com - official website
- Haight Ashbury Song Book Ashleigh Brilliant, 1967, photograph