18th
How to fix copyright in the digital age
The President recently asked us to come up with a better system for enforcing copyright online.
Here’s my proposal:
Exempt linking to, copying, and redistributing digital information, while leaving all other copyright protections in place.
This radical but progressive move acknowledges the fact that digital copying and redistribution is fundamental to the way networked computers operate. It protects all manner of fair use sharing and derivative works as long as they happen online. And it frees up resources for enforcement of copyright on physical media and the sale of licenses, which is where media companies make their money.
In short, everybody wins. And yes, people will still buy books, movies, and music when copying them is free. We are willing to pay for convenience and authenticity, and of course we want to own nicely packaged copies of the works that we treasure.
