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title: "How to talk about copyright?"
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How to talk about copyright?
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In the copyright debate, it doesn't only matter what we say, but also
how we do it. Language frames the discussion. Thus it is necessary to
understand the words we use, their context, and the way they are used
by others. It may happen that we win this or that battle in the
copyright war, but if we allow the industry to shape the language
we think in, the entire war will be lost.

Words are not neutral. They have meanings and connotations. They
influence our perception of the world, they make ideas meaningful, they
shape social practices and the law. It might even be said that words are
more dangerous than arms. It's hard to disagree. For the last 100 years
or so, the language of the copyright debate was shaped by the industry
and hardly resisted. There was not much independent insight. Now, most
of basic terminology introduced into copyright debate undermines the
rights of the public and supports the interests of a small group of
beneficiaries: words like "intellectual property", "piracy" or "legal
access" rule the debate and influence its course. The current state of
the law would be different, if we had been using terms like
"intellectual monopoly", "infringement" and "users rights" in the past
instead. Policy makers and industry lobbyists try to impose their
language onto the minds of the people. And what we do? We surrender.
Scholars and copyfighters seem careless in their choice of words. We
intend to change that. We intend to make you think about the meaning of
words and influence your speaking habits. You may disagree with some or
all of our opinions. However, we will be more than happy if we make you
think more critically, consciously and carefully while using copyright
language. Enjoy!

Jarosław Lipszyc