Quote:
Originally Posted by Froide
On the other hand, the downsides of obtaining a copyright include the placement of copyrighted works in the public domain once their copyright terms expire (if not renewed) and - even while the copyright is in force - the ability of anyone to "tweak" the registered intellectual property just enough to call their version their own, with impunity. Happens regularly.
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Copyright cannot be "renewed"; it exists for a fixed time beyond the author's death, and then expires. One does not "obtain" a copyright - it automatically comes into being the instant the author sets pen to paper (or whatever the medium is). Likewise, there's no choice about whether or not a work enters the public domain - it just happens.