Action: Senate attempting to sneak in another copyright extension

[tanaqui]

alexseanchai posted about this in comments to the last check-in post and I thought it was worth pulling out as a top-level post. (Originally via conuly)

Congress is looking to extend copyright protection term to 144 years

Buried in an otherwise harmless act, passed by the House and now being considered in the Senate, this new bill purports to create a new digital performance right -- basically the right to control copies of recordings on any digital platform (ever hear of the internet?) -- for musical recordings made before 1972. These recordings would now have a new right, protected until 2067, which, for some, means a total term of protection of 144 years. The beneficiaries of this monopoly need do nothing to get the benefit of this gift. They don't have to make the work available. Nor do they have to register their claims in advance.

Write to your representatives and consider donating to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

(Why, yes, the copyright on Mickey Mouse is close to running out again....)

Comments

[alexseanchai]

Not even Mickey as a whole! (1) trademark law still applies (2) if Steamboat Willie goes into public domain, that doesn't affect House of Mouse