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

On Tue, 1 Sep 1998, Daniel J. Schaeffer <daniel_schaeffer[_at_]kirkland.com> wrote:
>
> The advent of new technologies that make it extremely easy to reproduce
> and distribute copyrighted works is one reason publishers and other
> content producers are pushing for a longer term of copyright. With so
> many ways for copies of a work to get out there quickly and cheaply, it
> takes longer for a content producer to recoup its costs and turn a
> profit on the work. The added monopoly period could be a way of
> countering the declining revenues resulting from piracy, etc.

I think someone else may have already pointed this out, but it is worth repeating. To follow Daniel Schaeffer's point to its logical conclusion, there would be NO limit to the term of copyright protection. Just because there may be new methods for economic exploitation does not mean that the term ought to be extended. For me, this is again indicative of the basic difference in how the copyright monopoly is perceived as to whether there is a balance to be struck between the issues of ownership and public good.

In the 1774 letter to William Strahan that I've already paraphrased from, Samuel Johnson also advocates a cumulative series of years of protection from the date of publication (including 30 years after death) for a total of "about fifty years, a term sufficient to reward the writer without any loss to the publick [sic]. In fifty years, far the greater number of books are forgotten and annihilated, and it is for the advantage of learning that those which fifty years have not destroyed should become bona commu- nia, to be used by every scholar as he shall think best." (The Letters of Samuel Johnson, ed. R.W. Chapman. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1952. V.1,399)

Cheers,

Bernard Katz, Head, Special Collections and Library Development McLaughlin Library, University of Guelph, Guelph ON Canada N1G 2W1

   and Chair, Ontario Library Association Copyright Action Committee bkatz[_at_]uoguelph.ca // (519) 824-4120 X2089 // FAX: (519) 824-6931 Received on Wed Sep 02 1998 - 21:42:00 GMT