[Talk-us] Resigning in protest

[Bill Ricker]

On Wed, May 12, 2010 at 10:08 PM, Dave Hansen <dave at sr71.net> wrote:
> Some very smart lawyers at very big companies in the US

and in law schools also based on what i read on web

> claim that PD  doesn't really exist,

as Congress has mangled our laws, that seems to be the state here now:
Copyright is innate in all creative works, with no opt in nor opt out,
only licensing. Some Rights signed away in life revert to heirs upon
death, and under the Mickey Mouse Act, survive 75 years. Exactly how
extending the copyrights of the dead retroactively served the single
specific end specified in the Constitution of encouraging practice of
useful arts escapes me ... Walt Disney has drawn no mice by his own
hands since the extension ...

> outside what would otherwise be government-held > copyright.

Yes, According to the IP gurus I've read, the closest to true PD
recognized in current US law is US Govt Copyright.

> PD might make it worse.

CCPD, CC0, MIT, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTFPL are all attempts to
codify the intent of PD or as close as one can get in current US Law.
CCPD/CC0 and the {{PD-user}} tag have the advantage that if the
digital revolution ever results in an opt-in copyright system or legal
establishment of opt-out / real PD in US law, the dedication to PD may
be recognized retroactively.

>  Let's just blame the lawyers. :)

It should be a conflict of interest for a lawyer to sit in a legislature.


-- 
Bill
 IANAL but i actually read the stuff
n1vux at arrl.net bill.n1vux at gmail.com