IMO it’s something even worse than simple personal loyalty to George, it’s an ideological deference the the expressed wishes of the perceived creator of any property. The reason that distinction is important is that once George dies (this is speaking in terms of an unavoidable timeline), personal loyalty evaporates – he’ll never know, right? – while the ideology of deference to the wishes of the creator will continue.

It’s a small niggle, but it’s why we won’t see the OOT in any official releases until the copyright expires and public-domain outfits (who are, let’s face it, in for a quick buck and have no delusions of artistry) can get a crack at it. And that’s why (sigh) projects like Legacy that take the longer view are still important. Lucasfilm might bury Legacy, but Laserlight will jump at it. In a century or so, Mike’s grandkids can seal the deal and my grandkids can watch it.