Quote:
Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
The public may be a beneficiary of public domain, but they aren't a stakeholder here. The public did not create the work, they were not a party to negotiations, and they did not pay for the rights.
|
This is one reason why, even though I earlier advocated the 28 years, I've changed my mind.
After Life + some decades, the team involved in planning, creating, and financing the book is gone. Since I'm not a great fan of inheritance rights, except for spouses, I do see the public as having rights as good as anyone else's at some point after the author, agent, etc., have died. But in 28 years, everyone could still be kickin'. Also, there is a danger that if every early 1980's published best-seller was on Mobileread, we would buy a lot fewer current books.
There is an advantage to having a single international copyright standard. Since Canada's is pretty much etched in stone, I advocate the Berne Convention Life + 50 standard, first agreed to in 1887 and now followed in Canada, China, and many smaller countries, adopted elsewhere.
As for the effects on the new book marketplace of Life + 50 vs. Life + 70, I don't think there would be much. Both standards mean that if you want to read about life as lived today, public domain will not do. As for piracy, perfectly legal web sites like Project Gutenberg Canada, and this one, could be getting some Americans and Europeans used to baby-step piracy, leading to the real thing. Standardize on Life + 50, and this site can stand just a little taller. Yes, moderators, I agree that we already stand tall
I know that this is a highly-book centered approach to copyright issues, but, well, that's what I care about.