Ruth, now professor of journalism at Stockholm University, argued that ownership of copyright by individual journalists, staff or freelance and of all disciplines, is one defence against the essentially corruptive power of huge media companies in the digital era. Properly controlled, electronic media can be used to distribute the power of the media corporations. It can complete the process that began with the printing press and confirm the right of everyone to obtain information and protect their work. Mercifully, the cold-print delusion of grandeur came with a New York twinkle in the eye. Nonetheless, Summit 2000 did conclude by converting itself into Campaign 2000 with an Agenda For Action which, if executed as drafted, should sort the whole thing out in weeks.
Decades seems the better bet, though.
The abridgement of those rights denies what we do and who we are. What we have to do is go and kick arse. August Ringvold from Norway told the Authors' Rights Summit about their struggle with the daily newspaper publishers. They balloted on a strike, but achieved a reasonable agreement, with an authors' rights clause, without. They have to put meals on the table every day.