How Long Should Copyright Last?

[AlexSno]

I think 30 years for books, 10 years for technology patents

[bevdeforges]

Interesting discussion, but from what I understand, the original reason for patents and copyrights was in order to assure that inventions and works of art would return to the public domain in a reasonable period of time. Yes, the inventor or creator should benefit from what they have created/developed, but the idea is for the society to ultimately benefit from these things.

This was never supposed to set up the inventor or creator with an income for life, never mind his family and descendants.

[AlexSno]

Originally Posted by AlexSno

I think 30 years for books, 10 years for technology patents

Hmmm 30 years is a lot of time. but it's ok. As for technology i would lower it at around 6-7 years

[DiapDealer]

If you really want to get down to it, there is no empirical way to determine where I end and you begin, thus individual copyrights are absurd.

Perfect example of ignoratio elenchi.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by bevdeforges

Interesting discussion, but from what I understand, the original reason for patents and copyrights was in order to assure that inventions and works of art would return to the public domain in a reasonable period of time. [...]

Huh? Where did you get that idea? I suggest you read about copyright, for example see Wikipedia, before making too many assumptions about why it was introduced. From that article we get:

The British Statute of Anne of 1709 was the first act to directly protect the rights of authors.[1] Under US copyright law, the justification appears in Article I, Section 8 Clause 8 of the Constitution, known as the Copyright Clause. It empowers the United States Congress "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."[2]

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization the purpose of copyright is twofold:

"To encourage a dynamic culture, while returning value to creators so that they can lead a dignified economic existence, and to provide widespread, affordable access to content for the public."

If you look at that article you will see links to the philosophy of copyright, that will give you some of the arguments on both sides, and to the history of copyright that gives some (very limited) idea of what was happening before. People look and see what they don't like about copyright now, what they fail to understand is what went before - as if "in the good old days" everything must have been perfect. Yeah, right.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Perfect example of ignoratio elenchi.

You and I are a collection of entities, localities of energy, although going further down we begin to see that localities do not exist, only the instantaneous infinite universe, existing as itself. This is the only thing that applies everywhere and to everything, you have created nothing, everything simply exists, has existed, and will continue to exist.

Copyright????????????

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

You and I are a collection of entities, localities of energy, although going further down we begin to see that localities do not exist, only the instantaneous infinite universe, existing as itself. This is the only thing that applies everywhere and to everything, you have created nothing, everything simply exists, has existed, and will continue to exist.

Copyright????????????

Ignoratio elenchi..... and.....

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Ignoratio elenchi..... and.....

What are you talking about? You are incapable of creating anything because everything has already been created. I know it is hard for some to realize this because I hear it every day,

"This book is mine."

"People believe in ownership"

Blah Blah Blah.

Now in the new era, to which we are rapidly approaching, the idea of ownership and attribution will be seen as antiquated. We simply wait.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

What are you talking about? You are incapable of creating anything because everything has already been created. I know it is hard for some to realize this because I hear it every day,

"This book is mine."

"People believe in ownership"

Blah Blah Blah.

Now in the new era, to which we are rapidly approaching, the idea of ownership and attribution will be seen as antiquated. We simply wait.

Seems you tried to read "das Kapital", the book tipped over and hit you on the head? Mild concussion is my diagnosis.

[gmw]

I've been reading too much Pratchett, I thought he must be lost in L-Space.

[rhadin]

Perhaps forever. The courts are now deciding whether works that are currently in the public domain can be placed under copyright as if done so by the original creator. See Once in the Public’s Hands, Now Back in Picasso’s.

[elcreative]

Damn, if he reads that then we're sunk although it might get quiet for a time while he looks for the Great Turtle... after all all reality is a one thing and everything is connected and... sorry, it must be catching...

Originally Posted by gmw

I've been reading too much Pratchett, I thought he must be lost in L-Space.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Damn, if he reads that then we're sunk although it might get quiet for a time while he looks for the Great Turtle... after all all reality is a one thing and everything is connected and... sorry, it must be catching...

You understand yet you do not believe.

[DiapDealer]

You understand yet you do not believe.

And you believe, yet do not understand.... that the fairytale "new era" you're trying to wish into existence is not coming.

Nice to dream though... nothing wrong with that.
Pesky reality.

[wyndslash]

we might as well get ourselves copyrighted and maybe after thirty years or so, we could get an extension