[dvd-discuss] Must Copyright terms be uniform?

["Michael A Rolenz" <Michael.A.Rolenz(at)aero.org>]

 Is there any reason why limited times for copyright material must be 
UNIFORM in duration?

Leaving aside the maximum duration (120yrs is ridiculous! ). Copyright is 
a burden upon society. Why must that burden extend to 6 generations for 
things that even one generation has discarded? Does anybody make 8086s?, 
8080s, 80386s? 68000s, What of the old 707 op amp? The masks for these 
things all get copyright protection. What of software? DOS2.0 protected 
into the next century? Does everything have to have the same term? I don't 
see why. THe purpose of copyright is to promote progress but at  a certain 
point things aren't progressing. I think Prof. Litman is right.  For 
digital formats and media not only do we need to go back to what copyright 
should be but also we need to rethink just what it means to copyright and 
for what duration.