Until the government can find a way to adjust the academic copyright law to account for the demands of citizens and scientists for the broadest possible access, we propose a moratorium on criminal prosecutions for the illegal sharing of academic material.
We already paid for this research, and it's time we saw it. Or at least, until we figure out the proper way to adjust the law, we should ensure it is enforced equally.
The moratorium acknowledges the outsized distress that those prosecuted for academic copyright infringement is more serious than the crime itself.
In Aaron's case, it is too late, but should we stop professors from posting their articles online?
Should their lectures be heavily redacted?
Can we become leaders in math and science again like this?