Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
Property is treated very differently in the US. Property can not be taken from someone without due process or just compensation, yet the term of copyright is set by Congress and can be changed at anytime. I'm pretty sure that you aren't going to see any laws passed by Congress saying that you can only own a house for 20 years and then anyone can move in with no compensation.
|
Not just me saying so:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....ract_id=491466
And the government can do things regular folks can't. The government via imminent domain can take my property and give me whatever the GOVERNMENT thinks it's worth (not the market, not me, the government).
Other than that, nobody can take my copyright away. If they copy my works without my authorization, they have infringed my copyright.
If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it's a duck.
Copyright explicitly belongs to the holder. It can be sold. It can be inherited. It is not a physical thing and so there are different labels for it's treatment, but they all amount to "property".
If you want to say "I didn't steal your property" and instead think "I infringed on your copyright" -- more power to you. Theft is theft no matter the label