Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
That was done via a special clause in the Copyright Act - an Act of Parliament. What precisely would prevent a US government from doing the same?
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Our constitution explicitly forbids a perpetual copyright. This was part of it from day one. So it doesn't matter what our Congress passes, it would be turned over as unconstitutional.
Here's another one, broader and more sinister. The British military serves Her Majesty, and by devolution, Her Majesty's government. The US military does not serve the US government. It's officers and enlisted personnel are sworn to
uphold the constitution. Now our government follows the constitution, which defines it's powers, and as it's is constitutional valid, and the military follows it's orders. But it does so because the government is an expression of the constitution, not as an entity in itself. If a government were to decide to pitch out the constitution, the military would be legally in the right to overthrow it, in the name of the constitution.
Edit: Actually in that circumstance, they would be
required to overthrow the government.