Is the current copyright system the right and only...

Is the current copyright system the right and only tool to achieve our objectives? Not really.

Citizens increasingly hear the word copyright and hate what is behind it.

Sadly, many see the current system as a tool to punish and withhold, not a tool to recognise and reward.

Neelie Kroes, European Union Digital Agenda Commissioner, in a speech to the Forum d’Avignon in Paris.

As ZDNet UK notes:

Rights-holders have long complained about the damage done to their industry by online copyright infringement. Governments and courts in countries including the UK have responded by blocking access to websites that help people unlawfully share music, videos, games and software.

Some countries, such as New Zealand and France, also threaten repeat infringers with suspension or disconnection of their broadband services.

A reminder that in the United States there are currently legislative attempts to essentially privatize copyright enforcement by giving copyright holders the power to issue takedown notices — without judicial oversight — against Web sites they believe are infringing on their content.