Copyright and fair use is a nuanced balance between giving copyright owners the ability to restrict the actions of the rest of society and encouraging the creation of works that will more than balance out the onerous restrictions undertaken. A situation not all of us even agree on.
The class of actions classified as fair use describe situations where arguably society can loosen the reigns to substantial benefit to society without destroying the incentive to create.
A classic example would be quoting books to discuss them. The free exchange of ideas greatly enriches society while encouraging not replacing readership.
Reducing it to an analogy to physical property obscures instead of enlightens because it misses all the ways a copyright is different than a right to physical property.
The class of actions classified as fair use describe situations where arguably society can loosen the reigns to substantial benefit to society without destroying the incentive to create.
A classic example would be quoting books to discuss them. The free exchange of ideas greatly enriches society while encouraging not replacing readership.
Reducing it to an analogy to physical property obscures instead of enlightens because it misses all the ways a copyright is different than a right to physical property.