The US Congress keeps pushing out the date copyright protection expires.
It has moved from protecting the author to protecting the author's grandchildren.
It is clearly not the worst thing Congress has done in my lifetime, but it is indicative and it is encouraging of actions that discourage creativity.
Worse, for all those folks who rail against Republicans who advocate the elimination of death taxes, this is the worst kind of elimination of death taxes.
See this example for what should today be in the public domain under the Copyright Act before 1978, but is now sequestered under the 1976 Copyright Act.
All laws should sunset at some point, to be re-voted by a new Congress. I recommend every ten years. Same for the State level.
Regards — Cliff
Politicians use other peoples money. Until we change that paradigm, it will be creepy.
ReplyDeleteIs Wall St a monolith? Is Warren Buffet considered part of it? Are there other Wall Sters that share Buffet's views, more or less?
Liz Warren is very clear on her position with regards to consumer protections.
Or, does cynicism propel you to assume she pull a Mitt Romney flip?
We know Scott Brown's record of standing up for "Wall St." We know Liz Warren's record of taking them on.
Each MA voter will choose who reflects their ideals the closest.
Please disregard the post above. It is placed incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteThis Larry Lessig clip attempts for persuade the viewer to help free Mickey.
OK, I am disregarding it.
ReplyDeleteRegards — Cliff
It's interesting that you use "Mickey Mouse" in the title. Who is being served by pushing out copyright laws? Litigous corporations like Disney.
ReplyDeleteGiven the stance taken by many, we should be paying Bernoulli's relatives a ton of money for using his law in print and other forms of reference.
ReplyDeleteWhen does one's intellectual rights end? And is there something like "intellectual rights" which suggests that certain thought is in fact original in its totality. But then wouldn't we need to consider how many "original thoughts" went into the formation of Einstein's relativity theories.....and shouldn't all of the eligible Flemings of the world be entitled to remuneration for the foundational work of their great great relative in the field of pharmacology.....shouldn't Big Pharma have to pay out?
And at the end of the day....copyright laws have only peripheral relationships to Wall Street...who may in fact capitalize occasionally from some hapless intellectual who publishes his or her brain droppings.
Moreover.....the real question....what exactly is "copyrightable" in today's information environment and how can it be protected?
Personally.....I think we are counting angels on the head of a pin.....
I would think that Ms Elizabeth Warren would be against Copyright Laws, n'est pas?
ReplyDeleteRegards — Cliff
As far as I know, Larry Lessig has endorsed Buddy Roemer.
ReplyDeleteAnd, likely, Scott Brown wants more Copyright Laws, than Liz.
I agree with Jack, based upon Ms Warren's stated philosophy, she would have fewer copyright laws and shorter periods of copyright—maybe none—as opposed to Senator Scott Brown.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, we do need some copyright and patent periods, for the encouragement of the arts and industry, as our Fore Father said. What we don't need is for expended periods. It seems to me that most items invented or developed or presented might have eventually been discovered. It is amazing how something appears when "its time has come". We went for almost forever without heavier than air flight and soon a lot of different folks were in the air, flying. Flying would have been held back, except for WWI, if today's laws were in effect back then.
Balance.
Regards — Cliff
PS: And, yes, I did expand from Copyright to the whole area of protection of rights for innovators.