Andy Baio (who you might remember from the big Kind of Bloop copyright mess) has written an excellent piece on copyright in a culture that legitimately does not see this as a legal issue. He points out that under current law every cover song, mashup album, and fanfic story are all illegal and there is mass confusion from a younger generation that doesn't understand why the art they created is getting pulled. We see this all the time in higher ed and it's a constant issue in courses like ds106 where students are actively encouraged to remix content and publish it. He closes with a compelling thought that I truly believe will drive copyright reform in the next several years:
Here's a thought experiment: Everyone over age 12 when YouTube launched in 2005 is now able to vote. What happens when — and this is inevitable — a generation completely comfortable with remix culture becomes a majority of the electorate, instead of the fringe youth? What happens when they start getting elected to office?