But even copyright doesn't give you "control" over something. I can still download it and use it however I want, privately, just that I'm limited legally to further distribute it. Unless I change it sufficiently, then it's again OK to distribute my changed one. Of course, depending on country and whatnot.
Problem remains the same, as soon as the content is visible on the public internet, you lose 100% control of it's propagation, illegal or not.
> I can still download it and use it however I want, privately, just that I'm limited legally to further distribute it
the party that allowed you to download it committed copyright infringement by distributing it. the same restrictions apply to them as to you*. a copyright holder may well want that party to stop distributing it, which means no-one else can download it.
it’s just moving the ‘control’ up a level to a different party. it’s still there.
> as soon as the content is visible on the public internet, you lose 100% control of it's propagation, illegal or not.
GPL license: thou shall always* provide access to this software’s source code —> form of control in the opposite direction to music copyright, but still a form of control
* subject to terms, conditions, locale and other legal things (IANAL)
> the party that allowed you to download it committed copyright infringement by distributing it. the same restrictions apply to them as to you*. a copyright holder may well want that party to stop distributing it, which means no-one else can download it.
That's why every social media site in existence puts terms in its EULA demanding that users grant the site a blanket license to redistribute their content, over and above any separate licenses they may put on it. After it's been redistributed to third parties, the copyright holder has no more control (at least, not via copyright law) over how those copies are privately used.
E.g., on HN: "With respect to the content or other materials you upload through the Site or share with other users or recipients (collectively, 'User Content'), you represent and warrant that you own all right, title and interest in and to such User Content, including, without limitation, all copyrights and rights of publicity contained therein. By uploading any User Content you hereby grant and will grant Y Combinator and its affiliated companies a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty free, fully paid up, transferable, sublicensable, perpetual, irrevocable license to copy, display, upload, perform, distribute, store, modify and otherwise use your User Content for any Y Combinator-related purpose in any form, medium or technology now known or later developed."
Problem remains the same, as soon as the content is visible on the public internet, you lose 100% control of it's propagation, illegal or not.