Judge Richard Posner calls on Congress to reform copyright law

Judge Richard Posner has already decried the state of the US patent system, and now, he’s speaking out about copyright law, as well. In a blog post penned Sunday, the outspoken federal judge cited two main problems with contemporary copyright laws: extensive protection (copyrighted works are typically protected until 70 years after an author’s death), and narrow interpretations of “fair use,” which “can have very damaging effects on creativity.” Posner acknowledged that the “need for reform is less acute in copyright than in patent law,” but insisted that it still deserves “serious attention from Congress and the courts.”