--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the reality is that copyright law…" description: "\"I think the reality is that copyright law has for a very long time been a tiny little part of American jurisprudence, far removed from traditional Firs..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/lawrence-lessig-3201_activity_i-think-the-reality-is-that-copyright-la_46624.jpg" --- # I think the reality is that copyright law has for a very… ![“I think the reality is that copyright law has for a very long time been a tiny little part of American jurisprudence, far removed from traditional First Amendment jurisprudence, and that made sense before the Internet. Now there is an unavoidable link between First Amendment interests and the…” quote by Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/lawrence-lessig-3201_activity_i-think-the-reality-is-that-copyright-la_46624.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/lawrence-lessig-3201_activity_i-think-the-reality-is-that-copyright-la_46624.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/lawrence-lessig-3201_activity_i-think-the-reality-is-that-copyright-la_46624.jpg) > “I think the reality is that copyright law has for a very long time been a tiny little part of American jurisprudence, far removed from traditional First Amendment jurisprudence, and that made sense before the Internet. Now there is an unavoidable link between First Amendment interests and the scope of copyright law. The legal system is recognizing for the first time the extraordinary expanse of copyright regulation and its regulation of ordinary free-speech activities.” [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Copyright law, historically peripheral, now intertwines with free speech due to digital media, prompting legal reevaluation. **In simple terms:** Digital era forces copyright‑speech convergence. Key Takeaway Copyright now shapes everyday expression. Themes Intellectual Property Free Speech Digital Media Legal Evolution First Amendment Mood Analytical Critical Type Analytical Policy When to use this quote - Online publishing - Social media platforms - User‑generated content - Digital archives Key Concepts Copyright Scope Internet Impact Jurisprudence Balancing Rights Practical Applications - Policy reform - Legal education Questions to Reflect On - How should law balance creator rights with public discourse? - What precedents guide this new intersection? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amendments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendments/) [Copyright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copyright/) [Copyright law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copyright-law/) [First amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-amendment/) [Free speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-speech/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Jurisprudence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jurisprudence/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Legal system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legal-system/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Regulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regulation/) [Scope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scope/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [We need not throw away 200 years of American jurisprudence while we fight terrorism. We need not choose between our most deeply held values,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-need-not-throw-away-200-years-of-american-jurisprudence-while-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Copyright law has got to give up its obsession with 'the copy.' The law should not regulate 'copies' or 'modern reproductions' on their own.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/copyright-law-has-got-to-give-up-its-obsession-with-the-copy-the-law/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [We established a regime that left creativity unregulated. Now it was unregulated because copyright law only covered "printing." Copyright law did not control derivative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/we-established-a-regime-that-left-creativity-unregulated-now-it-was/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [We have a massive system to regulate creativity. A massive system of lawyers regulating creativity as copyright law has expanded in unrecognizable forms, going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/we-have-a-massive-system-to-regulate-creativity-a-massive-system-of/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [All content should be copied without restriction. But for education and research, copyright laws are especially damaging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/all-content-should-be-copied-without-restriction-but-for-education/) [Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/) > [From what I understand about Shakespeare - which isn't a lot - there was no copyright law when he was writing. He sampled at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-posner/from-what-i-understand-about-shakespeare-which-isn-t-a-lot-there-was/) [Mike Posner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-posner/) > [“Can you think of a better way than slavishly copying and removing attribution to disrespect an author”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalyan-c-kankanala/can-you-think-of-a-better-way-than-slavishly-copying-and-removing/) [Kalyan C. Kankanala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalyan-c-kankanala/) > [Providing free access to research papers on websites like Sci-Hub breaks so-called copyright law that was made to taboo free distribution of information on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/providing-free-access-to-research-papers-on-websites-like-sci-hub/) [Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/) > [The Pirate Party started in Sweden in 2006, and it only had one agenda: to change draconian copyright laws. But it's changed and shifted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birgitta-jonsdottir/the-pirate-party-started-in-sweden-in-2006-and-it-only-had-one-agenda/) [Birgitta Jonsdottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birgitta-jonsdottir/) > [Fair use is a part of United States copyright law. You don't know if it falls under fair use until you go to court.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/girl-talk/fair-use-is-a-part-of-united-states-copyright-law-you-don-t-know-if/) [Girl Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/girl-talk/) > [Whenever a copyright law is to be made or altered, then the idiots assemble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/whenever-a-copyright-law-is-to-be-made-or-altered-then-the-idiots/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“7 Outstanding Tips for Banner Printing Choosing to produce a printed banner is a fantastic way to maximize your promotional requirements, it helps you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/printfast/7-outstanding-tips-for-banner-printing-choosing-to-produce-a-printed/) Printfast > [In India, most people are not aware or are unconcerned about copyright laws. This has proved disastrous for the music fraternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilaiyaraaja/in-india-most-people-are-not-aware-or-are-unconcerned-about-copyright/) [Ilaiyaraaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilaiyaraaja/) > [Judges decide upon copyright law. They decide upon trademark law. They decide upon scientific issues. They decide upon very complex technical issues on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sibal/judges-decide-upon-copyright-law-they-decide-upon-trademark-law-they/) [Kapil Sibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sibal/) > [“There being no international copyright laws, “pirated” editions abounded, with no complaint from the public, or much from authors, who were lionized.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/there-being-no-international-copyright-laws-pirated-editions-abounded/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) ## More by Lawrence Lessig > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [As I've indicated, most books go out of print within one year. The same is true of music and film. Commercial culture is sharklike.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/as-i-ve-indicated-most-books-go-out-of-print-within-one-year-the-same/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Code plus law is combining to reduce rights consumers used to have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/code-plus-law-is-combining-to-reduce-rights-consumers-used-to-have/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Overregulation corrupts citizens and weakens the rule of law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/overregulation-corrupts-citizens-and-weakens-the-rule-of-law/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Power runs with ideas that only the crazy would draw into doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/power-runs-with-ideas-that-only-the-crazy-would-draw-into-doubt/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Remember the refrain: We always build on the past; the past always tries to stop us. 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Or at least, they are not conflicts for survival of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/but-like-all-metaphoric-wars-the-copyright-wars-are-not-actual/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [If the only way a library can offer an Internet exhibit about the New Deal is to hire a lawyer to clear the rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/if-the-only-way-a-library-can-offer-an-internet-exhibit-about-the-new/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Some blame the drug companies. I don't. They are corporations. Their managers are ordered by law to make money for the corporation. They push…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/some-blame-the-drug-companies-i-don-t-they-are-corporations-their/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [By the time Apple's Macintosh operating system finally falls into the public domain, there will be no machine that could possibly run it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/by-the-time-apple-s-macintosh-operating-system-finally-falls-into-the/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [As more and more citizens express what they think, and defend it in writing, that will change the way people understand public issues. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/as-more-and-more-citizens-express-what-they-think-and-defend-it-in/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [I think if the copyright regime focuses on the people we are supposed to be helping, the artists and creators, and builds a system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/i-think-if-the-copyright-regime-focuses-on-the-people-we-are-supposed/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [There is still the illusion that if we could declare corporations are not people or that money is not speech, all would be solved.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/there-is-still-the-illusion-that-if-we-could-declare-corporations-are/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [“But sometimes they're just oblivious, and their obliviousness brings out the worst in me. 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If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Fighting's fun, man. It's a great activity, it's a great sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mitrione/fighting-s-fun-man-it-s-a-great-activity-it-s-a-great-sport/) [Matt Mitrione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mitrione/) > [There were books everywhere in my house. Books were very present. I just loved books. I never understood reading as anything but a pleasurable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lucas/there-were-books-everywhere-in-my-house-books-were-very-present-i/) [Lisa Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lucas/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. 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