Coming Soon to Life Plus 70

[Barcey]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

The entire life span of the author plus an additional 70 years. What's wrong with that?

"I believe in the after life."

"I believe in reincarnation."

"I uploaded my conscience into a computer so I'm still alive."

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Barcey

"I believe in the after life."

"I believe in reincarnation."

"I uploaded my conscience into a computer so I'm still alive."

But then any of those could be used if it were phrased as 'death +70' as well.

[Greg Anos]

US 1923 works coming in are:

The Inimitable Jeeves, and Leave it to Psmith - P.G.Wodehouse
The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran
The High Place - James Branch Cabell
The Reminiscences Of A Stock Operator - Edwin Lefevre
Men Like Gods - H.G. Wells
What the Moon Brings, Hypnos, The Lurking Gear - H.P.Lovecraft

Here is a bunch of others . . .

https://lifehacker.com/these-1923-co...-in-1825241296

This will be only the second year that has fallen into the public domain in the US in 40 years.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

US 1923 works coming in are:

The Inimitable Jeeves, and Leave it to Psmith - P.G.Wodehouse
The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran
The High Place - James Branch Cabell
The Reminiscences Of A Stock Operator - Edwin Lefevre
Men Like Gods - H.G. Wells
What the Moon Brings, Hypnos, The Lurking Gear - H.P.Lovecraft

Here is a bunch of others . . .

https://lifehacker.com/these-1923-co...-in-1825241296

This will be only the second year that has fallen into the public domain in the US in 40 years.

I didn't realize that The Prophet had been around so long. I'm sure there are a bunch more books coming into PD, but few remember them anymore. As has been said, authors should fear being forgotten a lot more than piracy.

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

The entire life span of the author plus an additional 70 years. What's wrong with that?

Nothing wrong at all, if that was what it meant. But Life plus 70 unfortunately means date of death plus 70 years, which I think should be stated: "death plus 70".

Personally, I'd like to see a universal death plus 50.

[BookCat]

As to whether ghosts have copyrights, maybe someone should ask what they think. Seance anyone?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Personally, I'd like to see a universal death plus 50.

I'd rather see longer of (date of publication + 50 years; date of death of author), as the UK had at the end of the 19th Century.

But since date of death + 50 years is the minimum term allowed by the Berne convention, I'd be happy if we went back to that in the UK.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Nothing wrong at all, if that was what it meant. But Life plus 70 unfortunately means date of death plus 70 years, which I think should be stated: "death plus 70".

Would it be fair to say that the life span of an author ends when they die? I can't think of non-silly cases where it would end earlier or later than date of death.

Personally, I'd like to see a universal death plus 50.

I'd rather see some amount of years from publication that can be extended at the authors discretion for a nominal fee. Failure to renew would cause the work to go into the public domain.

A company like Disney could have their swarm of lawyers renew all their copyrights like clockwork. But authors that no longer care about their work or who die forgotten would have their work enter public domain a lot sooner.

[BookCat]

Zodwallop: wouldn't this discriminate against poor authors in favour of rich ones like Disney? Is that fair? (BookCat hears her elder brother saying in her head: "Kate, no one ever promised life would be fair!" as BC, when 15, cried out, "But it's not fair!!")

When to determine death? I'm sure some authors have been dead for years, they just keep walking around and pretending to be alive. I'm not refering to Cotard's Syndrome either. What about vampires who write novels? How do you determine their date of death?

Maybe publication date would be preferable, but without the option to extend. Then one would need to define "publication". Would including excerpts on a blog be the date of publication? Or perhaps the date of creation? Or the date it first goes on sale? How would this apply to free books which are later charged for?

It's a minefield. And so much fun.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Zodwallop: wouldn't this discriminate against poor authors in favour of rich ones like Disney? Is that fair? (BookCat hears her elder brother saying in her head: "Kate, no one ever promised life would be fair!" as BC, when 15, cried out, "But it's not fair!!")

A nominal fee, say $50 isn't too much to ask to extend copyright.

When to determine death? I'm sure some authors have been dead for years, they just keep walking around and pretending to be alive. I'm not refering to Cotard's Syndrome either. What about vampires who write novels? How do you determine their date of death?

Vampires have to have died to be vampires (with a special, one time exception for Morbius, the Living Vampire). And under my method, vampires would be protected as there's no rule against the undead renewing a copyright so long as they are recognized as citizens by their government

Maybe publication date would be preferable, but without the option to extend.

Publication without the option to extend would cause the same mess we currently have. The problem is that Disney dares not let Mickey Mouse fall in to the public domain. As things are now, they will move heaven and Earth to make sure that doesn't happen by extending copyright for everything.

Reading this thread it occurred to me that the collapse of the the TPP is quite likely to be at least part of the reason why here on the non-penal side of the Tasman we're still "EOL + 50"

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'd rather see longer of (date of publication + 50 years; date of death of author), as the UK had at the end of the 19th Century.

But since date of death + 50 years is the minimum term allowed by the Berne convention, I'd be happy if we went back to that in the UK.

Hear! Hear!

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

A nominal fee, say $50 isn't too much to ask to extend copyright.



Vampires have to have died to be vampires (with a special, one time exception for Morbius, the Living Vampire). And under my method, vampires would be protected as there's no rule against the undead renewing a copyright so long as they are recognized as citizens by their government



Publication without the option to extend would cause the same mess we currently have. The problem is that Disney dares not let Mickey Mouse fall in to the public domain. As things are now, they will move heaven and Earth to make sure that doesn't happen by extending copyright for everything.

I'm really not sure that the Mouse is nearly as important to Disney as it use to be. Sure for Disneyland and the parks, but it's been a long time since Mickey and company appeared on the big or little screen. What is more important to Disney is the old classic Disney flicks and when they come out of copyright. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is the oldest of these.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I'm really not sure that the Mouse is nearly as important to Disney as it use to be. Sure for Disneyland and the parks, but it's been a long time since Mickey and company appeared on the big or little screen. What is more important to Disney is the old classic Disney flicks and when they come out of copyright. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is the oldest of these.

I don't know about that.

In many people's eyes, Mickey Mouse is Disney. And after Air Pirates Funnies, I doubt Disney will stand by and let Mickey fall in to the public domain, where anyone can use the character as they see fit. Especially when the cost to extend the copyright with politicians they already have in their back pocket is likely trivial, to them.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I'm really not sure that the Mouse is nearly as important to Disney as it use to be. Sure for Disneyland and the parks, but it's been a long time since Mickey and company appeared on the big or little screen. What is more important to Disney is the old classic Disney flicks and when they come out of copyright. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is the oldest of these.

I think the next big surge to increase copyright extensions will be when the first major group of "talkies" start going PD. Say 5-7 years from now.

We will see what the public mood is then. . .