COPYCENSE

“One of the more frustrating things about debating copyright issues is that copyright mythology sounds a lot more like the truth than the truth. For instance, many people believe that copyright law gives the copyright holder absolute, immutable control over a work, lasting into perpetuity. The truth — that copyright has built-in limits to protect free speech, scholarship, research, and innovation (the “progress of science and useful arts”) — sounds like a lie. Surely all of that stuff is just bleeding-heart liberal, mushy-minded nonsense?

“Oh, well, actually — no. Fair use exists, and for very good reasons.”

Copyfight. Copyright Mythbusters: Believe It or Not, Fair Use Exists. Dec. 5, 2005.