The problem we're having with copyright right now is that its both (functionally) indefinite, and free. I don't believe the original intent was for this to happ

The problem we're having with copyright right now is that its both (functionally) indefinite, and free. I don't believe the original intent was for this to happen. Making the terms limited OR making the cost to maintain copyright past a certain short time period non-free would fix most everything almost immediately. As it stands now, a perverse incentive has formed to lock away works that can't be executed on a very large commercial scale forever.