[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

You don't need a unique work to create a different unique work, but consider that some works enter the cultural consciousness and transcend being merely a novel (or a movie). People have often taken old works and reworked them to create new works that draw at least some of their power from their relation to the initial work.

Then why should that principle only be available at some future point in time? If a work has that much value, shouldn't it go into public domain immediately?

Likewise, in the past, authors have often taken moderately successful works and then reworked them in new ways to create a superior story (William Shakespeare was a master of this).

Be that as it may, he lived under a different set of laws.

Ultimately, since copyright is totally a construct of government, I want to know what benefits result from extending copyright further?

Profit for the copyright holders. That's the whole point.

It should also be pointed out that after a generation or two, if copyright ends up being held by multiple parties, it might prevent any books from being republished since trying to get all rights holders to agree can become more trouble than the book is worth.

Then the book dies and life marches on.