Re: [ARSCLIST] [78-l] "Isn't 50 years of copyright enough?" (copyright extension sought for sound recordings in Europe)

[Mike Richter <mrichter@xxxxxxx>]

At 01:25 PM 8/17/2004 -0700, Eric Jacobs wrote:

> So, what makes copyrights so much different from patents that
> copyrights require significantly longer periods of protection
> that in most cases outlive the original copyright holder?

Corporations have advantages when patents expire. The big ones have nothing
to gain by letting copyright expire.

But the point is pointless; consumers have proved to be powerless against
extension of U.S. copyright. Neither in the Congress nor in the courts has
reason applied. There is no question that the extension of copyright in
recent decades is contrary to the Constitutional purpose behind it, but the
Supreme Court has held that that is no barrier to enforcement of the absurd
term.

Apply logic all you will; it is irrelevant.


Mike
--
mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/