Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
Why? Will they not bother writing if they can only get guaranteed control over income from their works for 30 years? Will bands stop playing music if they don't get royalties for fifty years?
85% of all published works are out of print in 15 years. Why should they continue to have a stranglehold on that material after it's not commercially viable?
Until 1870, copyright was limited to 42 years. Until 1910, it was 56 years. Why should better technology, faster information transmission, and more access to published works, lengthen copyright? It seems it should work the other direction--you have a much better chance of reaching a million paying readers today than you did 150 years ago.
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Some writers, Ralph Ellison, for example, only publish one major work, in Ellison’s case, Invisible Man, while alive. I see no reason why he should not have been allowed to receive proceeds from its sale at least until the day he died.
In 1870, 42 years was a lifetime.