The key problem is that copyright infringement by a private individual is regarded by the court as something so serious that it negates the right to privacy. It’s a sign of the twisted values that copyright has succeeded on imposing on many legal systems. It equates the mere copying of a digital file with serious crimes that merit a prison sentence, an evident absurdity.

This is a good example of how copyright’s continuing obsession with ownership and control of digital material is warping the entire legal system in the EU. What was supposed to be simply a fair way of rewarding creators has resulted in a monstrous system of routine government surveillance carried out on hundreds of millions of innocent people just in case they copy a digital file.

  • volodya_ilich@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    As they already do, you mean? Like, look at the recent Spotify scandal, with artists complaining that they don’t earn enough and a higher up of Spotify saying that “nowadays content creation is very inexpensive”, basically implying that Spotify deserves to keep most of the money since the artists’ job is super easy. Most musicians already get most of their money through concerts and merchandising. Copyright already de-facto doesn’t protect the artists nor the scientists.