[QUOTE=Kali Yuga;2151499]Uh... no. That's not even close to my position.
I am not, in any way shape or form, advocating for perpetual copyrights. Absolutely nothing I've said here could possibly be correctly interpreted as opposition to public domain, or as an advocation of perpetual copyrights. I even
explicitly stated -- in the section you quoted -- that public domain is beneficial.
What I am saying here is:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
• Copyright law is not designed to favor the middle man. It's designed to favor the rights holder.
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If that is the case, wouldn't the majority of economic benefit go to the creator? Follow the money. It doesn't. Now if you define "rights holder" as a non-creative intermediary, then you are right, but my definition of "middle man" is also the non-creative intermediary(s). The non-creative intermediary keeps a lion's share of the money...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
• Both copyright and public domain are social constructions. Thus the term "natural" does not apply.
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Once again we seem to be stumbling on sematics. In a legal world without copyright laws (and such worlds have existed, more than worlds with copyright) all creative expressions become common property of all upon public release. Items released from copyright in a legal world with copyright, also become the common property of all, upon copyright release. (Assuming you define creative expressions as property.) I note that the end result is the same, and that the same end result would exist whether or not there is copyright law. Where in my description did I drop anything?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
• Short copyright terms will not solve any issues, and will not dissuade anyone from violating copyright.
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It won't stop violations of copyright, only the abandonment of certain technologies will. However, the question is not stopping, but loss mitigation. How do you get average people to say to each other, "this is wrong, even if I can do it easily". One is cheap and easy to access legal alternatives (see iTunes and Amazon). Another is the sense that copyright treats everybody fairly - both the creators and the public. That has fallen in to complete disrepute in the US due to grasping greed of the rights holders. Abrogation of agreed-to contracts for the continual gain on one party in the contract has caused a complete disrespect for the entire concept of copyright.