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"Outdated" is not the right term I would say. Assuming you are referring to US law here, the current, extremely long copyright is the result of relatively recen
by copx 14y ago
"Outdated" is not the right term I would say. Assuming you are referring to US law here, the current, extremely long copyright is the result of relatively recent corporate lobbying efforts.
Copyright was extended further and further at the request
of powerful interests. It used to be much shorter.
Originally US copyright lasted only 14 years, with a possible extension of another 14 years if the author was still alive and requested it.
Nowadays US copyright lasts until 70 years after the original author's death.
- kristofferR 14y agoThat is inaccurate, unfortunately. Copyright has lasted way too long for over a century now. You are correct that the original US copyright law was set to the reasonable maximum of 14+14 years, however that was extended to 28+28 years already in 1909, not exactly a relatively recent development. In 1976, 35 years ago, it was further extended to 75 years after publication or 50 years after death of author. In 1998 it was extended further to an insane 120 years after creation or life + 70 years. Even if the copyright length insanity actually only was a relatively recent phenomenon from 1998, I don't see why that would exclude it from the "outdated" term.
- jakejake 14y agoI had heard it was largely due to Disney. Not sure if that's true?
- kristofferR 14y agoDisney lobbied heavily for the 1998 Copyright Extension Act to prevent Mickey Mouse entering the public domain, but as mentioned the copyright duration was already insanely long (70 years) by then.