MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Trans-Pacific Partnership to Increase Copyright Term in Six Nations

SteveEisenberg · 10-16-2015, 07:51 PM

Here are the Association of American Publishers legislative goals:

http://publishers.org/priorities-positions

Maybe I missed it, but I don't see anything about term extension. I think they are a lot more concerned about piracy than loss of any still-profitable titles they released in 1923, or even 1933.

Two of the big five publishers are headquartered in countries (France and Germany) where agency pricing is the law. I realize that the political power of Hachette and Bertelsmann isn't the only reason book discounting is illegal in those countries. But it still is worth noting that Hachette and Bertelsmann have public domain days every year in their home markets.

What books do people think they are hoping to keep out of the public domain?

My guess is that the biggest cash cow coming up in the next decade is The Great Gatsby (Simon & Schuster), as it is commonly required reading in schools and colleges. That one's due to go into US public domain on January 1, 2021.

The next big one I can think of is Gone with the Wind (Macmillan), which goes into US public domain in 2037.

What other titles do folks here consider it worth publishers pouring money into K Street lobby shops for?

I suppose there is some risk that there will be an extension pushed by the motion picture industry, and the publishers get the benefit of it without having chipped in much for the lobbying effort. If I was writing about this to my congressperson (would make more sense if he wasn't currently under indictment), I'd tell him to support economic health for the film industry, but lay off books.

By the way, Mickey is trademarked. Trademark doesn't expire. Snow White, which I think is the earliest valuable Disney property that doesn't have the trademark angle, goes US public domain in 2038.

10-16-2015, 07:51 PM	#54
SteveEisenberg Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,424 Karma: 43514536 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: near Philadelphia USA Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)	Here are the Association of American Publishers legislative goals: http://publishers.org/priorities-positions Maybe I missed it, but I don't see anything about term extension. I think they are a lot more concerned about piracy than loss of any still-profitable titles they released in 1923, or even 1933. Two of the big five publishers are headquartered in countries (France and Germany) where agency pricing is the law. I realize that the political power of Hachette and Bertelsmann isn't the only reason book discounting is illegal in those countries. But it still is worth noting that Hachette and Bertelsmann have public domain days every year in their home markets. What books do people think they are hoping to keep out of the public domain? My guess is that the biggest cash cow coming up in the next decade is The Great Gatsby (Simon & Schuster), as it is commonly required reading in schools and colleges. That one's due to go into US public domain on January 1, 2021. The next big one I can think of is Gone with the Wind (Macmillan), which goes into US public domain in 2037. What other titles do folks here consider it worth publishers pouring money into K Street lobby shops for? I suppose there is some risk that there will be an extension pushed by the motion picture industry, and the publishers get the benefit of it without having chipped in much for the lobbying effort. If I was writing about this to my congressperson (would make more sense if he wasn't currently under indictment), I'd tell him to support economic health for the film industry, but lay off books. By the way, Mickey is trademarked. Trademark doesn't expire. Snow White, which I think is the earliest valuable Disney property that doesn't have the trademark angle, goes US public domain in 2038. Last edited by SteveEisenberg; 10-16-2015 at 08:38 PM.