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Old 10-05-2005, 12:15 AM   #16 (permalink)
n0nsensical
Junkie
 
Location: San Francisco
Quote:
Originally Posted by FoolThemAll
Why and why? I'd be interested in some elaboration here.
Cause the Constitution says so, that's a good enough reason for me.

But seriously, the depth of the public domain is important for the advancement of culture. All of human history has involved making new and better things out of old things, and unlimited term copyright makes it illegal to ever make new and better creative works out of old creative works. Little has been added to OUR public domain in years and little will be for years further because Congress feels a moral obligation to protect corporate profits.

For some reason I can't explain, the courts are happy to hammer new powers and rights out of the Constitution all the time while also condoning Congress's de facto unlimited term copyright that is a blatant end-run around the same. Stevens and Breyer were the only Supreme Court justices on our side in Eldred v. Ashcroft, and I can only hope the new ones will join to do the people more justice.
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"Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." --Abraham Lincoln
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