Re: Copyright Extension

Dennis J. Karjala wrote:
>

snip
> In short, the increased copyright term in Europe provides no
> legitimate ground for extending the term here. Enactment of this
> legislation would impose substantial costs on the United States general
> public without supplying any public benefit. It would provide a
> windfall to the heirs and assignees of authors long since deceased, at
> the expense of the general public, and impair the ability of living
> authors to build on the cultural legacy of the past. In following a
> European model of regulation and rigidity, it would hinder overall
> United States competitiveness in international markets, where the
> United States is currently at its most powerful. This is not, in fact,
> a conflict between Europe and the United States. The real conflict, in
> both Europe and the United States, is between the interest of the public
> in a richer public domain and the desires of copyright owners (who may
> or may not be relatives of authors) to control economic exploitation of
> the copyright-protected works that remain in their hands. That Europe
> has resolved the conflict one way does not mean that we should blindly
> follow suit.

If there is nor problem regarding reciprocity, why would anyone seriously consider extending the U.S. Copyright term from 50 to 70 years after the death of the author?

--
1267 Stoner Avenue, PH 2     MARTIN PERLBERGER	     15 Park Row, #500
Los Angeles, CA 90025				    New York, NY 10038
310 312 1400; Fax 1872				212 233 3676; Fax 3678
Entertainment, International, Real Estate, Public/Fine Art Law Offices