Zombie ... you ask about losing our right to something. But has that right been established? Has it been signed into law or tested in court? Most of the projects here are in the gray areas of morality, and almost certainly illegal under US law. (Other countries may vary.) Of the major projects, only Star Wars Legacy seems to be taking the safe road when it comes to potential problems with the MPAA. Lucas added a new dimension when declared the O-OT were "workprints," and not intended for future commercial sales, but I wouldn't want to use that as my defense if taken to court. Nor would I want to use the "It belongs in a museum!" defense; however true that sentiment may be, I don't think the authors of copyright law took it into account.

Vbangle ... they won't be in public domain until long after GL is dead. Seventy or ninety years, depending on whether it has individual or corporate authorship. It might enter public domain sooner in other countries, similar to the way a publisher's error made Lord of the Rings public domain in the United States, but I think we'll do all we can to keep other countries in line with our own law -- especially when the copyright expiration date on those lucrative Disney Classics starts to come up around the world.