this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2024
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Not at all. The US conserves something of the enlightenment tradition of freely sharing information; vital for the advancement of science, technology, and culture. Free speech and free press means that you can say and print what you like (press at the time literally meant the printing press, not the media). Limitations in the form of copyrights or patents are only allowed where it helps those goals.
Continental European copyright preserves a monarchical, aristocratic tradition. It's rooted in ideas of personal privilege and honor. For example, it's illegal to deface an artwork even when you own it because it's an attack on the honor of the artist. The term "royalties" comes from the fact that it was a privilege granted by royalty.
It's revealing that Europe has basically the same patent system as the US. You can't do without technology, even if you are an authoritarian ruler. What would your armies do? But copyright is just about culture, usually. You don't want that to be a needless source of instability. You want a clique of cronies to be in charge of that. That's what you see in Europe.