United States copyright law traces its lineage back to the British Statute of Anne, which influenced the first U.S. federal copyright law, the Copyright Act of 1790. The length of copyright established by the Founding Fathers was 14 years with an option to renew it once for 14 more.
After a quarter century, if it’s still relevant, then it’s part of community culture and everybody should be able to have access to it.
So the original Star Trek series would’ve been public domain by the time the first movie was released? I don’t think that’s reasonable.
Competitors could have created their own Star Trek films and released them at the same time & really muddied things, preventing TNG from ever happening. I think it’s reasonable that a creator be able to control their creation’s direction for a good while until it’s firmly established as being what they wanted it to be. Creative work takes time, and so more time than you suggest seems only fair to me.
And why should startrek get some kind of exception? Just because they “made it” doesn’t nean hundreds if other series wouldn’t have been better even. Lots of trash is made because there is a cash incentive.
BTW, nowhere is it stated that you can trash the artwork either, that is how it is in france, you can use it but not abuse it.
The original version of the USA copyright law had it right:
After a quarter century, if it’s still relevant, then it’s part of community culture and everybody should be able to have access to it.
Make that 5 + 5 and it’s fair IMO.
Maybe sime special extra years can be made for some types of creations, (or less) like medicine, cartoons, books etc.
So the original Star Trek series would’ve been public domain by the time the first movie was released? I don’t think that’s reasonable.
Competitors could have created their own Star Trek films and released them at the same time & really muddied things, preventing TNG from ever happening. I think it’s reasonable that a creator be able to control their creation’s direction for a good while until it’s firmly established as being what they wanted it to be. Creative work takes time, and so more time than you suggest seems only fair to me.
It would be from the release date.
And why should startrek get some kind of exception? Just because they “made it” doesn’t nean hundreds if other series wouldn’t have been better even. Lots of trash is made because there is a cash incentive.
BTW, nowhere is it stated that you can trash the artwork either, that is how it is in france, you can use it but not abuse it.
Totally fair, 28 years.