Reddit reviews How to Fix Copyright

Swartz was facing a max of 7 years. Additionally, when the RIAA really wanted to make an example of someone, they were able to sue for absolutely ludicrous, life ruining damages.

When the ordinary person can face a threat of hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars over a few albums (and not pre-release secret material) - something is very wrong.

The responses in the CMV thread are pretty ludicrous and dodge the issue. I'd recommend William Patry's books for an overview of the problems with our current system: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/moral-panics-and-the-copyright-wars-9780195385649?cc=us&lang=en&

And "How To Fix Copyright": https://www.amazon.com/How-Fix-Copyright-William-Patry/dp/0199760098

He's one of the pre-eminent intellectual property lawyers of our time, and his thoughts on the matter are very educational.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0199760098

I agree that digital production and distribution changes things, but I'm not convinced copyright makes no sense. People should have some kind of property right in the things they create that allows them to profit from that work.

Between no copyright at all and the copyright regime we currently have, surely there's some kind of compromise in the middle that serves the needs of artists and consumers. I've heard good things about this: http://www.amazon.com/How-Fix-Copyright-William-Patry/dp/0199760098

• How To Fix Copyright by William Patry.
  
• The Public Domain by James Boyle.
  
• Against Intellectual Monopoly by Michele Boldrin and David K. Levine.