> Winnie-the-Pooh brought joy to readers, but misery to the Milnes [...] [...] and, functionally, a constitutional amendment to the United States. Disney's Wi

> Winnie-the-Pooh brought joy to readers, but misery to the Milnes [...] [...] and, functionally, a constitutional amendment to the United States. Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh annual merchandising revenue are said to be north of 5 billion dollars a year. As much as the mouse, preventing the escape of the bear has paid for two copyright extension acts, defeat of various constitutional challenges and copyright reform attempts, support for US adoption of the Berne convention, and for TPP's Investor State Dispute Settlement provisions (aka regulatory capture insurance - "if we pay your legislature to get us a windfall, and you someday change it's mind, you'll have to reimburse us for our lost windfall - it's only fair"), and for a multi-decade press PR campaign. While the bear remains in bondage, so long will copyright law remain unable "[t]o promote the progress of science and useful arts". Free the bear! ;)