Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the printing press. But the copyright system does not fit well with computer networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it.

The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying for draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers, while suppressing public access to technology. But if we seriously hope to serve the only legitimate purpose of copyright--to promote progress, for the benefit of the public--then we must make changes in the other direction.

This will be a keynote speech at the "6th Annual University of Regina Graduate and Undergraduate Student Conference: Creating Community Consciousness: Students Expanding Knowledge and Creativity" (a student-run conference aimed at providing the opportunity for student researchers to present their work to the community).

This speech is free and open to the public.