So much for property rights if you’re a small guy.
What counts is if you’re Jack Valenti and want copyright to last forever–something that may well happen someday through steps such as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.
How come property rights keep declining for the rest of us–such as fair-use-minded readers of e-books–while the big studios and developers over the years seem to be getting more breaks? Clueful consumers and schools and libraries aren’t asking to bulldoze studios and publishers. They just want decent access to content for the common good–with, I’d hope, proper compensation for the copyright holders.
Some major questions arise here in the long run. As I’ve noted before, one of the characteristics of fascism is a blurring of the distinction between government and powerful corporate interests. Very possibly individual copyright holders will want to sell off their interest to big entertainment conglomerates, assuming the conglomerates don’t own the rights in the first place. When that happens, corporation will be able to wreak more havoc than on free expression, and of course most won’t give a squat about the affordability of culture. In the future we’ll have the equivalent of copyrights on Shakespeare. Great way to advance common Western culture and create national unity, no?
Not to be Western-centric. NonWestern countries will face their own challenges in coming up with the best copyright regimes. Could it be that they will eventually find D.C.’s vision so unworkable that they may toss out copyright entirely someday? I’m pro-copyright. But if that happens, I’ll fully understand–given the fanatic slant Washington is taking in favor of copyright holders.
I’d love to be wrong. I’ll feel a little better if Rick Boucher’s fair use efforts are successful.
