Quote:
Originally Posted by randyroughton
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gweeks
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no new material is entering the public domain in the U.S.
Greg
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I thought that that was correct, Greg, since 1923 is, and has been as long as I can remember, the year when copyrighted works
generally went into the public domain in the U.S.
Copyright laws in the U.S. are a mess, because there are all kinds of exceptions to the general rule about the year 1923. I saw a flow chart, using a whole lot of "if-then" statements, a couple of years ago, that at least attempted to show a person exactly when a copyright expired. It would take a "Philadelphia lawyer" to understand it all.
Congress really should do something truly useful, and make a goal to simplify the copyright laws. I am a real believer in people who create artistic and other works getting compensated for their time and work (I
hate piracy), but 1923 was 92 years ago, and Congress needs to shorten that, also. Personally, I believe that the end of copyright should not be based on the copyright date, as it is in the U.S., but the end of the creator's life. Seventy years, as many countries have it, seems like a good limit. My opinion is, however, that Congress will continue its indolence on this matter for years to come, because relatively few people are affected and it's not a high-visibility issue like health care, education, national defense, etc. are.