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Originally Posted by shalym
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There are really two major issues that those who think that copyright is property and should belong to the heirs of the author for eternity have to address.
First is why should copyright be considered property when prior to the printing press, making copies of books without compensating the author was the norm. What is the philosophical basis of making only artists protected, while other craftsmen and professionals' works are not protected?
Second, where do we draw the line? As Newton is quoted as saying "If I have seen further, then it's by standing on the shoulders of giants", acknowledging that his work was based on previous works. The same goes for most artists. Most artists acknowledge that they were influenced and drew ideas from earlier artists. This is the whole point of public domain and the whole point of making sure that copyrights and patents do lapse into public domain. It's not about getting free books, it's about not shackling the next generation of artists and inventors.