Quote:
Originally Posted by pdurrant
(All IMO)
Copyright length should be long enough to encourage people to create, and no longer.
Most works should have about the same length of copyright from creation.
Copyright should last at least the lifetime of the author.
Whether a work is in copyright should be easy to determine.
Combining these four, mixing in human lifespan and the age at which creative people start creating worth-while works, I'd suggest that 50 years or the life of the author, whichever is longer, would be a good length.
With this rule, most works would be in copyright for 50 years — ample time to get paid for the work. Some early works by long-lived authors would be in copyright for a bit longer, but not many and not by much.
By having (lengthy fixed term) or (life of author), whichever is longer, the variation in the length of copyright of any work is minimal.
Unfortunately, the Berne convention established the "lifetime + fixed term" rule, and it seems very unlikely that any international agreement will be reached to change this.
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Personally, I'd be happy enough with 70 years from the date the copyright was first granted/given. That way even if the author dies, the work can still generate income for the remaining family if it's not yet 70 years. That would be much better then death+70 in the USA. And long enough to get all that's going to be gotten from it.