Re: Snooze/lose (Was: Academics and coursepacks)

From: James Rogers <jetan[_at_]ionet.net>
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1998 08:51:01 -0500 (CDT)

On 8/28/98, Albert Henderson <noblestation[_at_]compuserve.com> wrote:
>
> It is difficult enough for new talent to achieve recognition. When a
> rare work is a major commercial success, it is discouraging to see it
> turned out to the public domain while still in print in an authorized
> edition.

     If I understand you correctly, you are here arguing for a perpetual copyright term for books whcih are succesful enough to never lapse from print. It is difficult for me to see such extended protection is going to prove either "discouraging" or "encouraging" for, say, Charles Dickens or F. Scott Fitzgerald. Difficult to reconcile with the "for limited times" provision of the Constitutional clause, to boot.

     Pertinent to this particular thread, this argument sounds rather like the flip side of the proposal by Mr. Scarpetti... in both cases the term of protection depends on the extent to which the market has succeeded in keeping the book in print.

                                                 James

James Michael Rogers
jetan[_at_]ionet.net
Mundus Vult Decipi Received on Sat Aug 29 1998 - 13:49:27 GMT