Here’s an interesting podcast from Freakonomics about copyright. I find pretty much everything these guys look at to be interesting, even when the results themselves are not as compelling as others. I like that they at least make the attempt to be data-driven about things.
In this case, I think the main takeaways are that (1) copyright really does work differently in different places, and (2) there exists a limit to where a copyright holder who restricts access is strongly influencing the art and the substance of a work.
I knew both of these, of course–and I’m sure you do, too. But perhaps you haven’t thought about some of the specifics. It’s worth the half-hour. Maybe plug it in and listen while you’re working out, which is what I did. If nothing else, you get to enjoy a few moments of Winston Churchill orating.