Leary Lecture: Preliminary Thoughts on Copyright Reform

Finally, there is the challenge of even contemplating how such a project might be transitioned to an implemented legal framework. As noted earlier, the prospects for meaningful copyright reform in the near future are at the moment very dim. Since many copyright industry representatives know how to navigate the current copyright regime and at least at times enjoy some benefits from its dysfunctionalities, there are formidable hurdles to implementing a reformed copyright law. The obstacles are perhaps so formidable that many would think it not worth the investment of intellectual effort to draft a model law.

Still, few would contest the idea that a simpler, more comprehensible, and more balanced copyright law would be a good idea. Perhaps the preliminary thoughts offered in this essay and in other articles in this symposium issue will spark a new round of copyright reform discourse.