Deconstructing Beck is a compilation album released on February 17, 1998, by an anonymous group posing as Illegal Art.

[1][2] Cultural critic Steven Shaviro's article "Deconstructing Beck" uses the album as an avant-garde turning point regarding the use of appropriation and sampling in the music industry today.

However, those who do not have record label support and cannot afford copyright fees and continue to appropriate others' music are seen as thieves and criminals.

Since recording companies leverage the money for copyright fees and serve as "watch dogs" over their clients' work, do they ultimately own music?

This situation also leads the reader to question how these copyright legalities limit artist creativity and at what point is a song considered brand new?