if we are so high on individualism...

[RidonKs]

why is it that around the world over copyright is extended to like 50 years after the death of the author?

the real crux of this question lies in the family i think, but in weird ways. to what extent is it warranted that generations down the line are getting royalty checks for something they personally had nothing to do with.

and so far i have ignored what happens when an private organization owns the copyrightto a piece of work. everything from huckleberry fin to happy birthday.

[navy]

Stop smoking

[RidonKs]

Stop smoking
you don't think copyright is important?

[Hawker]

Read the new harper lee book?

[DeuceWallaces]

Stuff should definitely go into the public domain sooner.

[RidonKs]

Read the new harper lee book?
is that what it's about? no i've never read anything by him

i should probably take a look, don't spoil anything

[KingBeasley08]

A lot of work actually would have been in the public domain now like the early Superman and stuff but Disney lobbied Congress to extend the copyright


The Mouse don't want nikkas using Mickey Mouse at any cost :lol

[RidonKs]

this is another subject kind of like the stadiums where i kinda feel everybody pretty much feels the same way... but i might be dead wrong about that fact

[RidonKs]

That's funny cuz Disney built its empire off traditional folklore and fairy tales. :lol
brilliant

[shaq2000]

Digital copyrights shouldn't. I agree with Richard Stallman in that regard.

[GreggPopazit]

why is it that around the world over copyright is extended to like 50 years after the death of the author?

the real crux of this question lies in the family i think, but in weird ways. to what extent is it warranted that generations down the line are getting royalty checks for something they personally had nothing to do with.

and so far i have ignored what happens when an private organization owns the copyrightto a piece of work. everything from huckleberry fin to happy birthday.

Not likely to happen frequently, but if you get rid of that law, you could have somebody killed just so the copyright goes away and you have free access.

[Stempel, HERB]

Read the new harper lee book?

That's about all this idiot can grasp. If that

Quick tell me ****boy how did Boo Radley, the creepiest creep of them all, manage to score hotter tail than your inept pasty ass.

Hint: It has something to do with you.

[GimmeThat]

Charles Darwin

[RidonKs]

Charles Darwin
hmmmm

social darwinism in that you're entitled to what you can get?
or hard darwinism in the sense that environment dictates strength?

[RidonKs]

speaking of which, as per john oliver, patent trolls are cramming the justice system with nonsense patents that make no sense except when used as extortion (like apple v samsung shiny rounded corners)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bxcc3SM_KA)

patent trolls don't actually create anything, they just shake down anybody who does

of the 4700 patent lawsuits filed in 2012, 3000 were brought by patent trolls. the white house claims that in the last two years, the number of phony lawsuits have tripled.

wow. when you are threatening to sue a company which helps people with disabilities find work, for using their own photocopier; you aren't just on the road to hell, you have your own parking spot right next to the ****ing devil

the patent office is supposed to certify inventions that are new, useful, and non-obvious

the issue is that, while patents for machines tend to be fairly specific, software patents can be so broad and vague that they may give someone the ability to later claim ownership of inventions they never dreamed of at the time. if a troll can get a vaguely defined software patent, they can demand payment for anything that fits that descriptions.

patent trolls have this process down to such a science. for a start, they have figured out how to never go to trial. one study found 90% of cases never go to trial, for a very practical reason. it's an extortion game because it costs $2-5 million to defend a patent suit, so the troll says it'll settle for $100k

patent trolls have even managed to find the friendliest place to file their lawsuits. almost a quarter of last year's us patent cases were filed in marshall, texas; population 24,000. patent trolls have figured out that for some reason, east texas judges and juries are sympathetic to patent plaintiffs. big companies are now going to the absurd lengths of mega marketing campaigns to pander to citizens who might wind up on their jury. samsung spent over $1 million on a branded ice skating rink right in front of the marshall courthouse


last bit is that trial lawyers are lobbying against bills trying to stop this nonsense