Copyright, in its current form, is not just a legal framework -- it's a powerful tool wielded to control culture, creativity, and ultimately, people's lives. It's a system designed to protect ownership over ideas, art, and knowledge by a few, at the expense of the many. And make no mistake: this system functions in deeply authoritarian, even fascistic ways, and it's doing real harm to the planet and everyone who lives here.
Copyright as Authoritarian Control
At its core, copyright is about control. It grants exclusive, legally enforceable power over what can be shared, used, or built upon. This isn't about protecting creators -- many of whom want their work to be seen and remixed -- it's about empowering massive corporations and gatekeepers to monopolize culture and profit from it endlessly.
By criminalizing sharing, remixing, or even referencing, copyright law suppresses the free flow of ideas and enforces rigid boundaries around culture. It polices not just what you can do with art or knowledge -- but what you are allowed to think or create next. This is an authoritarian mindset, where power is centralized and dissent or deviation is punished.
Fascism Through Intellectual Property
Fascism thrives on suppressing dissent, controlling narratives, and weaponizing laws to maintain power. Copyright enforcement fits into this by policing creativity and expression, silencing those who challenge dominant narratives or corporate interests. It creates a cultural dictatorship where only sanctioned voices and ideas are allowed to propagate without fear.
When copyright holders aggressively police fan communities, activists, educators, or marginalized creators, it's not just about money -- it's about maintaining hegemonic control. The law becomes a tool to exclude, erase, and punish.
The Environmental Toll
You might wonder: how does copyright connect to the Earth's health?
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Resource Waste: The corporate copyright industry fuels wasteful production cycles -- think endless merch, physical media, and promotional content churned out to protect "intellectual property." This drives massive consumption of raw materials and energy.
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Digital Policing Infrastructure: Copyright enforcement powers huge digital surveillance and data centers running 24/7 to scan and police content online, consuming enormous electricity and generating carbon emissions.
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Stifling Innovation: By locking down knowledge and technology, copyright slows down the development of sustainable solutions and technologies that could help heal the planet.
This system literally starves the Earth's resources by prioritizing profit and control over regeneration and sharing.
The Human Cost: Disease and Death
Beyond environmental damage, copyright's authoritarian reach causes profound human suffering:
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Mental Health Strain: Constant fear of legal repercussions or harassment from copyright enforcers creates anxiety, depression, and a pervasive culture of censorship and self-censorship among creators.
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Barriers to Education and Healing: When knowledge, art, and educational tools are locked behind paywalls or suppressed, entire communities lose access to critical resources -- widening inequality and exacerbating social illness.
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Cultural Erasure: Marginalized voices and indigenous knowledge are often appropriated and then locked down by copyright law, erasing histories and identities crucial to community resilience and mental well-being.
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Indirect Deaths: By hampering the free flow of life-saving medical knowledge, technology, or educational materials, copyright can delay progress that literally costs lives.
What Can We Do?
Disobey. Resist. Share. Break the chains of authoritarian copyright by creating, remixing, and spreading culture freely. Every time you refuse to comply with overreaching copyright trolls, you chip away at a system that's built to control and destroy.
When we reclaim culture as a shared commons -- not a private fortress -- we open pathways toward healing the Earth, empowering communities, and fostering creativity that nourishes all life.