4 ms·
I surely can't be the only one who finds it really weird that copyright lengths depend on the author's lifespan? Copyrights act as a sort of financial instrumen
by seoaeu 5y ago
I surely can't be the only one who finds it really weird that copyright lengths depend on the author's lifespan? Copyrights act as a sort of financial instrument that can be bought and sold. Imagine suggesting an office space lease that lasted for X years following the death of some specific named person. Everyone would think you are insane! But if it is the rights to a book, now everyone acts like an author's life expectancy should reasonably be a factor the term that any subsequent owner can hold the rights for their book
- CRConrad 5y agoReminds me of a precursor to life insurance, if only I could remember what it was called... Kind of a lottery / pool, all participants paid into it and the last survivor inherited the lot. IIRC. Come to think of it, reminds me of life insurance: that's also a financial instrument the value of which depends on the lifespan of a specific named person.
- CRConrad 5y agoUnless there's something even closer to what I was warbling on about, it was probably a tontine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tontine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tontine
- kolinko 5y agoIt makes sense if you consider that royalty fees are the retirement plan for many authors.