Dish Network Closing 500 Blockbuster Stores

[Orrex]

57. The copyright owner most certainly does own the copies

You may have purchased this or that record, or a particular download or the like, but that only means that you own this particular copy. You don't magically gain the right to duplicate the album, except as defined under fair use--which most certainly doesn't cover the making of "infinite copies" at no cost. The copyright owner (and duly licensed/authorized parties) retains sole ownership of the right to make copies.

Your example about Mick Jagger misses the point. Of course you own the particular copy of the album, but if you've made and distributed a dozen copies of it, then Mick owns them. That's the difference here; if you post a song online, then Mick owns the copy that you've uploaded, and if 10,000 people download copies of that song, then Mick owns those 10,000 copies as well. So if you and these 10,000 people are running around with unauthorized copies, then you each owe Mick whatever price has been assigned to that song.

The copyright most certainly does apply to the information! By your argument, anything that can be produced in digital form belongs to whoever wants it! That's the "help yourself" attitude that I described at the outset, and it's simply absurd even if you claim that it represents reality. All you can claim is that people like to steal copyrighted material; it doesn't mean that copyright doesn't apply.

Your assertion appears to be that copyright protects only the right to claim authorship. Well, that's an opinion that's about 300 years out of date, at least.