RE: [dvd-discuss] Copyright ranges

[Richard Hartman <hartman(at)onetouch.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: microlenz@earthlink.net [mailto:microlenz@earthlink.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2002 7:41 PM
> To: dvd-discuss@eon.law.harvard.edu
> Subject: RE: [dvd-discuss] Copyright ranges
> 
> 
> On 7 Aug 2002 at 10:29, Richard Hartman wrote:
> 
> From:           	Richard Hartman <hartman@onetouch.com>
> To:             	"'dvd-discuss@eon.law.harvard.edu'" <dvd-
> discuss@eon.law.harvard.edu>
> Subject:        	RE: [dvd-discuss] Copyright ranges
> Date sent:      	Wed, 7 Aug 2002 10:29:07 -0700 
> Send reply to:  	dvd-discuss@eon.law.harvard.edu
> 
> > The thing is that in many of these cases it is less
> > of a matter of intentionally blocking use of the 
> > property as it is just ignoring it.  Truely "abandoned
> > property" as the msg I was responding to suggested.
> > Should there not be a difference between intentional
> > suppression and mere indifference?
> 
> The former should be an abuse of copyright since it attempts 
> to suppress speech 
> in the form of criticism and discussion (e.g., Judge BOrk 
> held that political 
> speech was the most protected of all. ). In the case of 
> games, if one recreates 
> "Donkey Kong", "Space Invaders" or "Joust" [one of my 
> favorites] is one 
> infringing copyright? And after how many years of 
> abandonment? I've argued thsi 
> before but if one must exercise REAL property rights to 
> retain them then 
> certainly some exercise less than the fat fifth generation living off 
> intellectual property or the infringement lawsuits from it is needed.
> 
> 

Good questions, and important too.  Note, for example,
that "Joust" in particular is not abandoned.  Versions have
been created for the Color Gameboy, and now for the
Game Boy Advanced.  Some of the other old arcade games
have modern re-issuances ... but some don't, and are
unlikely to.  Moreover, depending upon the length of
time we settle on to indicate "abandoment" of the property
it might have even been too long for "Joust" to have
been kept in the back room ...



-- 
-Richard M. Hartman
hartman@onetouch.com

186,000 mi./sec ... not just a good idea, it's the LAW!