One simple change to copyright law that would make a huge difference is making exclusive licenses unenforceable. Here's an example.
After decades of consolidation, an oligopoly of 3 corporations control licensing for the majority of the world's recorded music (Universal, Sony and Warner). If an artist wants their music distributed by one of them, they have to sign over 100% control of their music licensing rights.
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The artist they can't apply a CreativeCommons to so much as a single one of their own songs, without permission from their corporate overlords. They can't have their music on BandCamp or any other direct sales platform like @bandwagon or @mirlo, including their own website (a la #FairCamp) without permission.
Copyright is shilled as essential for protecting artists' rights to control the distribution of their music. But combined with exclusive contracts, it does the opposite.
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Imagine if music corporations couldn't cancel contracts with artists who license their work to other distributors, or do their own distribution in parallel with the label(s). Imagine if artists could take class actions against music corporations who discriminate against them for doing so.
How much more autonomy would that give artists about how their music is licensed and distributed?
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