17 ms·

> a hundred years ago (say 1921) there were less people (in the US for example), and more successful authors. Are you sure there were more successful authors?

> a hundred years ago (say 1921) there were less people (in the US for example), and more successful authors. Are you sure there were more successful authors? There weren't that many notable books published in 1921. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1921_in_literature https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1921_in_literature

prewett 5y ago
We won't know for a hundred years how many of the books that will be published in 2021 will be notable enough in 2121 to be on the 2021_in_literature wikipedia page.
- nearbuy 5y ago
  I didn't mean to imply that we should compare it to the 2021_in_literature Wikipedia page. There are many thousands of successful authors living today. I'm wondering, how many were there in 1921?
252452d 5y ago
I'd imagine there's a lot that just hasn't made it to Wikipedia: https://springfieldmuseums.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/InteriorBasementFullersBlockJan1905-480x362.jpg https://springfieldmuseums.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/In... http://twitpic.com/9b8h7x http://twitpic.com/9b8h7x
MereInterest 5y ago
1921 is shortly after copyright became effectively infinite, and falls in the gulf of books that were lost because they were snatched away from entering the public domain. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120330/12402418305/why-missing-20th-century-books-is-even-worse-than-it-seems.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120330/12402418305/why-m... Edit: I'm a bit off with my dates, as 1922 was the year after which works effectively didn't ever enter the public domain.
- nearbuy 5y ago
  Interesting. I really don't see any good argument why copyright should last longer than, say, 20 years. Would any potential authors decide it's not worth it to write books if copyright only lasted 20 years? What benefit to society does ~100 years of copyright provide?
  - OldTimeCoffee 5y ago
    How do you solve the Mickey Mouse problem? E.g., you have a character that has created an "empire" that an organization has the means (cultural/monetary) to prevent their creation from entering the public domain. You have to figure out what to do about those rare situations because they're the driving force for extending copyrights. My ideal is like the old system (initial registration plus fixed term renewals). That actually worked well to balance interests and we should go back to it. Just make the renewals an increasing cost so that your 'Mickey Mouse' hits can continue to have effectively infinite protection while most won't renew and drop into the public domain.
    - Dylan16807 5y ago
      Tell them to go away and use trademark law?
      - OldTimeCoffee 5y ago
        So then Trademark begins to be used as a copyright extension mechanism and Trademark law has no expiration? That doesn't seem like a good idea.
        Dylan16807 5y ago
        It's not the same, but it's enough to protect what they really care about money-wise.
    - MereInterest 5y ago
      I don't really have a good solution. My gut reaction is that having a system that rewards the same companies that pushed for infinite copyright duration, rather than removing their hold over our shared culture, isn't a good solution. That isn't the most pragmatic of me, but I'd rather not reward Disney for breaking the public domain.

prewett 5y ago

We won't know for a hundred years how many of the books that will be published in 2021 will be notable enough in 2121 to be on the 2021_in_literature wikipedia page.

nearbuy 5y ago
I didn't mean to imply that we should compare it to the 2021_in_literature Wikipedia page. There are many thousands of successful authors living today. I'm wondering, how many were there in 1921?

252452d 5y ago

I'd imagine there's a lot that just hasn't made it to Wikipedia: https://springfieldmuseums.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/InteriorBasementFullersBlockJan1905-480x362.jpg https://springfieldmuseums.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/In... http://twitpic.com/9b8h7x http://twitpic.com/9b8h7x

MereInterest 5y ago

1921 is shortly after copyright became effectively infinite, and falls in the gulf of books that were lost because they were snatched away from entering the public domain. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120330/12402418305/why-missing-20th-century-books-is-even-worse-than-it-seems.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120330/12402418305/why-m... Edit: I'm a bit off with my dates, as 1922 was the year after which works effectively didn't ever enter the public domain.

nearbuy 5y ago
Interesting. I really don't see any good argument why copyright should last longer than, say, 20 years. Would any potential authors decide it's not worth it to write books if copyright only lasted 20 years? What benefit to society does ~100 years of copyright provide?
- OldTimeCoffee 5y ago
  How do you solve the Mickey Mouse problem? E.g., you have a character that has created an "empire" that an organization has the means (cultural/monetary) to prevent their creation from entering the public domain. You have to figure out what to do about those rare situations because they're the driving force for extending copyrights. My ideal is like the old system (initial registration plus fixed term renewals). That actually worked well to balance interests and we should go back to it. Just make the renewals an increasing cost so that your 'Mickey Mouse' hits can continue to have effectively infinite protection while most won't renew and drop into the public domain.
  - Dylan16807 5y ago
    Tell them to go away and use trademark law?
    - OldTimeCoffee 5y ago
      So then Trademark begins to be used as a copyright extension mechanism and Trademark law has no expiration? That doesn't seem like a good idea.
      - Dylan16807 5y ago
        It's not the same, but it's enough to protect what they really care about money-wise.
  - MereInterest 5y ago
    I don't really have a good solution. My gut reaction is that having a system that rewards the same companies that pushed for infinite copyright duration, rather than removing their hold over our shared culture, isn't a good solution. That isn't the most pragmatic of me, but I'd rather not reward Disney for breaking the public domain.