Quote:
Originally Posted by outlander78
I agree that copyright terms are too long. Lifetime+(small number) is appropriate, lifetime x 2 is too much, and I expect Disney will just keep trying to make it longer.
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I think even a lifetime is far too long. Most patents are either 14 or 20 years, why is it then that copyright lasts so much longer? (that's rhetorical) The idea behind a copyright is to encourage and protect the interests of creators. There is nothing inherently wrong with that concept. I agree with copyright and it's value in society.
However, there's value to be had when various works fall into public domain. Instead of an author or artist relying on a single piece of work, that artist or author has incentive to continue to create. Once a work becomes public domain, more artists and authors can take advantage of the work and expand and extend. Now we see collaboration and value growing out of a work.
Instead, we have a society of producers fearing the day when they will no longer be able to make money from selling (or protecting) their golden eggs. They toss aside the goose (or in some cases, sell the eggs as gold when only the first one was). They live in a climate of scarcity where they will never make money again.
It's long copyrights are a horrible tragedy, because I think it's inflated the culture of piracy far more than a normal cycle of public domain growth would have.