Chapter 4

Bo Burnham does not explicitly cover intellectual property in the film. Instead, he focuses on the effects of technology on society and especially himself. Still, there are moments in the movie where you can draw connections to intellectual property.

There is a bit in the moment where Burnham sings a song about being an unpaid intern. He films himself reacting to his song, then reacting to his reaction, then a reaction to that, and so on [1]. Although I believe the purpose of this bit is to show the cycle of overthinking and anxiety that Burnham experiences, it can also serve a dual purpose of making fun of reaction content on the internet. 

Additionally, there is the part in Burnham's song "Welcome to the Internet" that can be connected to intellectual property:

We got movies, and doctors, and fantasy sports

And a bunch of colored pencil drawings

Of all the different characters in Harry Potter f---ing each other

This is interesting because Harry Potter is one of the most protected fictional characters in fiction [3]. Burnham is referring to how ideas and characters are stolen on the internet and used for deranged purposes, like the aforementioned sexually explicit art. 

Sources

[1] "Inside" by Bo Burnham (26:43)

[2] "Inside" by Bo Burnham (57:28)

[3] March, Elizabeth. Harry Potter and the IP Bonanza. (WIPO, September 2007). Accessed September 16, 2024.