Trans-Pacific Partnership to Increase Copyright Term in Six Nations

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Maybe so, but try to get physical delivery...

Were you thinking plutonium?

[SteveEisenberg]

Just opinion, but:

TPP trade deal looks dead on arrival

Heck, the ink has barely dried on a landmark deal Prime Minister Stephen Harper trumpeted a mere 10 days ago as “a once-in-a-lifetime” agreement, one that would more closely integrate our nation’s economic future with the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region.

But a week and a half is a lifetime in politics, as Harper and International Trade Minister Ed Fast can well attest. So even as Fast continued to promote the benefits of the TPP to Canada and Alberta in an interview with the Journal on Wednesday, his party’s dream of making it a reality appears to be fading as quickly as the Conservatives’ election chances.

Recent events — the Liberals’ dramatic surge in the opinion polls to within striking distance of a majority victory in Monday’s federal election, and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s abrupt 11th-hour rejection of a deal she had long championed — have sharply upped the odds that the TPP will never see the light of day.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

If you look at Pdurrant's bet thread, I have a 1/2 oz of gold riding on this. . . (And that is only that there will be an <attempt> to extend it, not that it would be successful.)

This doesn't strike me as a particularly bold prediction. Many bills are introduced, but few pass:

113 Congress
January 3, 2013 - January 2, 2015

10,637 bills and resolutions introduced
663 passed resolutions
296 enacted laws

Source: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/statistics

I'll be surprised if there isn't a lobbyist trial balloon ginning up outrage over the books entering the US public domain in 2019 while remainng under EU copyright. I'll just be more surprised if it succeeds.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

This doesn't strike me as a particularly bold prediction. Many bills are introduced, but few pass:

113 Congress
January 3, 2013 - January 2, 2015

10,637 bills and resolutions introduced
663 passed resolutions
296 enacted laws

Source: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/statistics

I'll be surprised if there isn't a lobbyist trial balloon ginning up outrage over the books entering the US public domain in 2019 while remainng under EU copyright. I'll just be more surprised if it succeeds.

This bet was made right after SOPA was blocked, and many people here strongly insisted that it implied no more copyright extensions. You seem to be among them, currently.

I'll back human greed. The MPAA members bought an extension twice before, they'll try to buy another one again. It won't just be a bill languishing with no debate, and no hope. It'll be a serious attempt. As serious as SOPA was.

And for all we know, it may already be embedded in the details of TPP. Would an NZ Wikileak be particularly interested in the internal working of US copyright? After all, it would be a great way to get it passed in the US without debate...

My bet's down, and my money's on the table. . .

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

This bet was made right after SOPA was blocked, and many people here strongly insisted that it implied no more copyright extensions. You seem to be among them, currently.

I'll back human greed. The MPAA members bought an extension twice before, they'll try to buy another one again. It won't just be a bill languishing with no debate, and no hope. It'll be a serious attempt. As serious as SOPA was.

And for all we know, it may already be embedded in the details of TPP. Would an NZ Wikileak be particularly interested in the internal working of US copyright? After all, it would be a great way to get it passed in the US without debate...

My bet's down, and my money's on the table. . .

You're absolutely right about this. There will be future copyright extensions. There's no way these corporations are going to relinquish their cash cows.

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

This bet was made right after SOPA was blocked, and many people here strongly insisted that it implied no more copyright extensions. You seem to be among them, currently.

I'll back human greed. The MPAA members bought an extension twice before, they'll try to buy another one again. It won't just be a bill languishing with no debate, and no hope. It'll be a serious attempt. As serious as SOPA was.

Agreed.

SOPA was opposed by a lot of big internet companies with a vested interest. Companies like Google, Facebook and ebay.

The same strength of opposition doesn't exist for copyright extension. Public domain is dead in the U.S.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

The same strength of opposition doesn't exist for copyright extension. Public domain is dead in the U.S.

Don't forget that pretty much everything published by the US government is in the public domain. Absolutely not true to say that nothing new is entering the public domain in the US.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Don't forget that pretty much everything published by the US government is in the public domain. Absolutely not true to say that nothing new is entering the public domain in the US.

It is dead for anything receiving copyright.

[SteveEisenberg]

Here are the Association of American Publishers legislative goals:

http://publishers.org/priorities-positions

Maybe I missed it, but I don't see anything about term extension. I think they are a lot more concerned about piracy than loss of any still-profitable titles they released in 1923, or even 1933.

Two of the big five publishers are headquartered in countries (France and Germany) where agency pricing is the law. I realize that the political power of Hachette and Bertelsmann isn't the only reason book discounting is illegal in those countries. But it still is worth noting that Hachette and Bertelsmann have public domain days every year in their home markets.

What books do people think they are hoping to keep out of the public domain?

My guess is that the biggest cash cow coming up in the next decade is The Great Gatsby (Simon & Schuster), as it is commonly required reading in schools and colleges. That one's due to go into US public domain on January 1, 2021.

The next big one I can think of is Gone with the Wind (Macmillan), which goes into US public domain in 2037.

What other titles do folks here consider it worth publishers pouring money into K Street lobby shops for?

I suppose there is some risk that there will be an extension pushed by the motion picture industry, and the publishers get the benefit of it without having chipped in much for the lobbying effort. If I was writing about this to my congressperson (would make more sense if he wasn't currently under indictment), I'd tell him to support economic health for the film industry, but lay off books.

By the way, Mickey is trademarked. Trademark doesn't expire. Snow White, which I think is the earliest valuable Disney property that doesn't have the trademark angle, goes US public domain in 2038.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Here are the Association of American Publishers legislative goals:

http://publishers.org/priorities-positions

Maybe I missed it, but I don't see anything about term extension. I think they are a lot more concerned about piracy than loss of any still-profitable titles they released in 1923, or even 1933.

Two of the big five publishers are headquartered in countries (France and Germany) where agency pricing is the law. I realize that the political power of Hachette and Bertelsmann isn't the only reason book discounting is illegal in those countries. But it still is worth noting that Hachette and Bertelsmann have public domain days every year in their home markets.

What books do people think they are hoping to keep out of the public domain?

My guess is that the biggest cash cow coming up in the next decade is The Great Gatsby (Simon & Schuster), as it is commonly required reading in schools and colleges. That one's due to go into US public domain on January 1, 2021.

The next big one I can think of is Gone with the Wind (Macmillan), which goes into US public domain in 2037.

What other titles do folks here consider it worth publishers pouring money into K Street lobby shops for?

I suppose there is some risk that there will be an extension pushed by the motion picture industry, and the publishers get the benefit of it without having chipped in much for the lobbying effort. If I was writing about this to my congressperson (would make more sense if he wasn't currently under indictment), I'd tell him to support economic health for the film industry, but lay off books.

By the way, Mickey is trademarked. Trademark doesn't expire. Snow White, which I think is the earliest valuable Disney property that doesn't have the trademark angle, goes US public domain in 2038.

Steve, the intersection between copyright expiration and trademark is an area that is not well defined. In Mickey's case, you can't use the trademark - as a trademark - without Disney's permission. But a film going into the public domain would be using the trademark as Disney had intended for that movie. <Shrug> No statutory law, and no case law (that I'm aware of).

Copyright extension has always been pushed by the MPAA. Remember Jack Valenti? Books were collateral damage.

To me, the proof in the pudding was the 1998 extension. Nothing under the 1978 shift to Life + 50 was being threatened. None would go PD until 2028, 30 years after the law was passed. The <only> reason for the extension was to keep anything further from going into the Public Domain. There was nothing in 1922 to worry about in the book world. or 1923, or 1924...

So what would have changed in the mindsets of the people who went to great lobbying effort to keep the copyright from starting to go into the Public Domain? Elucidate, please.

[Greg Anos]

I looked at the link. They didn't even accurately explain the copyright duration rules.

Accident?

[Cinisajoy]

I can write a book about Cinderella as long as she doesn't resemble Disney's Cinderella.
If you have children, make sure safe search is on when searching the princesses.

[murg]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Call me crazy, but I'm willing to wager a full ounce of bananas on the day the bet is settled

Whewwww...I glad of this. I'd hate to receive an ounce of bananas from the day the bet was made...

[SteveEisenberg]

The US government today released Trans-Pacific Partnership text with copyright term language identical to that previously Wikileaked and discussed in this thread:

https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files...l-Property.pdf

I previously hoped that New Zealand being granted a somewhat broader public domain deal than Canada was an oversight, but it is true.

As I read it, a large number of eBooks today available, on Canadian public domain sites, will have to be removed for up to 20 years. If someone can find a way to twist the wording otherwise, please let us know it.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

The US government today released Trans-Pacific Partnership text with copyright term language identical to that previously Wikileaked and discussed in this thread:

https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files...l-Property.pdf

I previously hoped that New Zealand being granted a somewhat broader public domain deal than Canada was an oversight, but it is true.

As I read it, a large number of eBooks today available, on Canadian public domain sites, will have to be removed for up to 20 years. If someone can find a way to twist the wording otherwise, please let us know it.

Perhaps Canada's focus on maintaining the tariffs protecting its agricultural industry blinded them to the little things such as this .