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Inspired by Ralph Sir Edward, I have sent my own letter which adds little to his and is not as good as his. But I felt that Ms. Espinel should hear the message from more than one person.
Dear Ms. Espinel,
The US Constitution calls for copyright to be for a limited time only. With the expiration of a copyright term, the work of art belongs to the general public, known as the public domain.
I am in favor of an author making as much money as he can from his work. Not only is compensation just, but the reward of compensation will encourage the author to create more art, which is in the public interest.
However, when the author dies, there will be no further creation by him. For that reason, I believe that the term of a copyright should expire with the death of the author.
You have requested publishers to provide you with evidence supporting their claim that they lose revenue from the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material over the internet.
I would like to point out that relatively recent changes in US copyright law have greatly extended the length of time the publishers may claim ownership. These extensions have come at the expense of the general public.
I therefore suggest that the publishers also be required to distinguish in their estimates of lost profits the figures regarding the sale of books of dead authors.
The publishing industry has to my knowledge always taken the position that violation of copyright is an immoral act. (For example, today the word used is "piracy".) In my view the publishers have no moral grounds to justify the existence of copyright beyond the death of the author.
Sincerely,
(GA Russell
My Town, NC)
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