[GA Russell]

First, it seems to me that the reason we want to defeat piracy is because we want the authors (and the editors) to be paid. So any proposal that doesn't specifically provide for their receiving compensation is dead in the water, it seems to me.

Second, I think that everyone outside the music industry thinks that they fought piracy the wrong way. So whatever the publishers try, it should not remind people of what the music industry did.

I have wondered aloud here how long it takes for a book to sell most of its copies. I know that in music, 80% of a CD's sales occurs within 8 weeks of its release.

Let's say that most books sell most of what they are going to sell within two years of release. I would be in favor of a copyright law that allowed any publisher the right to publish the book after that period, provided that the publisher pays the author a royalty established by law.

Presumably, the original publisher has recouped its money and made its profit during the initial two year period. After that, competition among publishers should drive the retail price of the book down, as we have seen for public domain works.