Re: [dvd-discuss] Eldred Amicus

[Tom <tom(at)lemuria.org>]

On Wed, May 29, 2002 at 01:34:38PM -0500, Roy Murphy wrote:
> > > The answer for an upper limit could be in the constitution.
> > >   ...by securing for limited Times to Authors...
> > > Anything granted beyond an author's lifetime
> > > is being granted to someone else.
> >   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[...]
> their actions were constitutional.  Since the First Congress passed the 
> 1790 Copyright act with a 14 year term (and a 14 year extension upon 
> renewal if the author is still alive and renews), terms exceeding the 
> lifespan of the author are presumptively constitutional.

yes, because the term can, let's say, "by accident" exceed the lifetime
of the author. however, an argument could be made that "life + x years"
is a different animal because it is ON PURPOSE going beyond the
author's lifespan.


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