I am a bit late to this conversation, but here goes. My apologies for covering any ground that has already been covered ... don't feel you have to respond if so.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
One of the running discussions that spans a number of threads is the idea of public domain and eternal copyright, i.e. the idea that copyright is a personal property right of the original author and is passed down to his or her heirs for eternity.
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I guess I pretty much agree with most of what you said, except for (like leebase said) the notion that most books eventually become unavailable. That was certainly true of most books in the past, that require a print run. And much of it was down to economics, but not always .... seeming more like the whim of the publisher or owner, for a variety of reasons.
Ebooks mean a book need never really disappear from availability, though to be sure, games can still be played by the vested interests. Of course, that is a simplistic view, because copyright can impact in some circumstances, especially in regard to deals, and where there might not be a recipient anymore for any royalties due (i.e. it was only the author and they have died ... perhaps Copyright should account for such things, when no other vested interest exists, making such items public domain, without the long delay).
As an example of the situation with physical books. I can well remember when it was nigh impossible to get most Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, even though he consistently remained a popular author, long after his death. It was lucky for me, that I got most of them, before they were even hard to get second hand. It took me a few decades to get a few of them though, the most important of those for me, being 'The Rider' or 'HRH The Rider'. Of course, living in AUS, I did not have the access back then like an American had. Of course, when I finally got that book, Burroughs was old news to me, and I did not enjoy it as much as I would have back in the day, when immersed in his fandom.
I also have a few views on authors, especially where they have been selfish after luring us in and receiving great rewards. That's not to say I think they should ever not be compensated and not receive their due ... they should, always ... and certainly their immediate family too, at the very least. Still, I think there is some onus to the public, a reasonable expectation within reason. I think an author opts into that, when they decide to publish ... and really, no-one operates in a vacuum ... they have their influences and their dues to them too.