Napster Judge Calls For Radical Copyright Law Reform

The judge responsible for the closure of the original version of Napster has called for a radical reform of copyright law.

At a meeting of Fordham Law in New York, Judge Miriam Hall Patel proposed a new organisation that would have authority over the licensing and enforcement of copyright.

Patel said the organisation, which should be a joint public/private body, should have the authority to:

- Issue licenses

- Negotiate, set and administer royalties

- Adopt rules and regulations to carry out these purposes

Patel was central to the landmark ruling which closed one of the original file-sharing websites, Napster, in 2001.

Patel ruled at the time that Napster had ''knowingly encourage[ed] and assist[ed]'' the movement of copyrighted music.

According to Wired, the Judge touched on the ruling during her speech at Fordham on Monday (November 10th).

"It was not surprising that the notion of free music caught on," Patel said. “What is surprising is how the industry seemed to be caught so short.

“While it was fumbling the new ways to distribute digital music at a profit in the new age, savvy innovators were moving full speed ahead.

"Sadly, it is the artists and composers who have been the most neglected in this matter."

Napster has since relaunched as a paid for service.