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Cory Doctorow proposes that Canada break ranks with international IP law enforcement
(pluralistic.net)
this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2025
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While I think this is a good idea (because copyright is a stupid concept in the digital age), the problem with this proposal is that Europe is also very pro-copyright. Doing something like this would probably piss off Americans, but if it also pisses off your next best ally as well, it's probably not going to work out.
Copyright isn't a stupid concept in the digital age, if anything it's more important than ever but it is grossly out of control and needs to be severely curtailed (along with all other IP law). Copyright needs to go back to what it was originally intended as, a short term monopoly on a creative work. Something like 10 to 20 years. The current 100+ year copyright durations are absolutely ridiculous and never should have been allowed.
Copyright has always been a stupid law in the digital age. Copying is an essential part of many processes. The focus on individual copies has been nonsense for decades when the real focus even for those short term licenses (and I agree with you there) should be who is allowed to use the content and for what purpose (e.g. public showing to large crowds might be more expensive than common friend or family groups at home). Also, pretty much anything about copy protection is complete nonsense in the current laws.
We also desperately need to prevent companies from using that monopoly to prevent older works from being available by having the copyright and not publishing the work anymore since this is killing our cultural history.
Author doesn't say ignore copyrights. He says ignore the "broad IP" clause in USMCA. Right to repair, right to have your own app store, right to enhance products you own.