If physical property could be copied and used without depriving its owner of its use, then I would be absolutely all for the abolition of physical property righ

If physical property could be copied and used without depriving its owner of its use, then I would be absolutely all for the abolition of physical property rights. After all, if I could simply take a copy of whatever you possessed without depriving you of possession or use of it, then why would anyone have any need to actually own anything? Our entire concept of property rights are predicated on the existence of scarcity; no such scarcity exists for intellectual property. Justifying intellectual property through the analogy of physical property is flawed, as they are inherently different beasts. That said, your core argument is entirely spot-on - our economic framework that is accepted in policy circles doesn't see the economic value of letting copyright expire. I'd also suggest that policymakers are rarely (if ever) dispassionate and unbiased; at the end of the day, their view of the world is closely aligned with the view of those who keep them in office through campaign contributions and whatnot. It doesn't even have to be as explicit as bribery - simply the fact that Congressmen (out of necessity) run in circles with wealthy people who have an interest in preventing the expiration of copyright is enough to color their opinions and views in favor of that particular position, even if they never knowingly accept a bribe.