Originally posted by: Number20
Some things have expired, because the original copyright holders didn't renew/extend them. Go to Wal-Mart/K-Mart/Target or whatever discount department store is in your area, and see the bargin bin of DVDs/videos. They are full of old movies that weren't published by their original copyright holders, because they are now in public domain.
Some things have expired, because the original copyright holders didn't renew/extend them. Go to Wal-Mart/K-Mart/Target or whatever discount department store is in your area, and see the bargin bin of DVDs/videos. They are full of old movies that weren't published by their original copyright holders, because they are now in public domain.
I don't think that's true. I think what has happened is that there are an awful lot of works that are basically worthless (commercially), and those original copyright holders end up selling for a song the rights to stick those films on DVD.
Those of you who are interested in this copyright stuff should read "Free Culture," by Lawrence Lessig. It's available free online at
http://www.free-culture.cc/. For me, the most interesting anecdote was the $10,000 fee Fox wanted for a filmmaker to show several seconds of The Simpsons in the background of an otherwise-nothing-to-do-with-the-Simpsons documentary film. Every lawyer the guy talked to said, "That should be fair use!" But none could confirm he wouldn't get sued regardless.