Copyright, protection or a curse?

Copyright gives the creator of an original work the exclusive right of distribution, production and adaption of the content. The symbol is well known given that it’s on almost every product we purchase. It appear as copyright has been established as an important right in society to keep the culture and commerce growing. By reading up a lot on the subject and drawing my own conclusions I have come to realize that copyright is not only damaging to progress, but it also prevents ideas from reaching its full potential.

My first thought on copyright was actually positive in favor for it. I believed that the creators would not be able to benefit from their ideas and hard work because somebody would just copy it and take advantage of someone else’s discoveries. But reading news reports about copyright infringement on the smallest details resulting in million dollar lawsuits made me think again. The copyright laws definitely need to be balanced around our time and not the 18^th century. Nowadays copyright is used as a cash-cow for licenses and disputes around patents. Why else would works be patented almost a hundred years after the author dies? The system obviously isn’t the protection it started out as.

I strongly believe that copyright is hurting important interests for us as human beings. To be precise the great ideas that are locked up because of personal interest in for example the environment, medicine and technical evolution. However, if more people had the access to adapt things in their own way we would probably see results much faster.

Today copyright and patents are hotter topics the ever before.  Some are questioning the whole phenomenon and some just want to modify it. Others want to restrict it even further, but there are individuals and groups struggling for a healthier cultural and commerce climate. Among them are the Swedish piracy party and its 46.000 members. Hopefully they will lead the way and lift the curse that is copyright.