[X4U] Congress plans to change copyright law...

[Zane H. Healy]

Doug McNutt wrote:
> At 08:41 -0800 2/28/06, Zane H. Healy wrote:
> >You're better off reading:
> >http://www.copyright.gov/orphan/
> >
> >Read it and write supporting the change!  This isn't just about photography, this is about all Copyright works.
> 
> Does anyone know if the change will apply to software that is no longer supported or sold by a company that still exists?
> 
> Sharing of old software for old Macs remains a problem.

>From what I read, it appears to cover all copywrited works.  Hopefully this
will get some of the material that should be in the Public Domain (and in
many cases was), into the Public Domain.  

Remember, the real reason that copywrite law was changed was becuase
Corporate Assets were about to become public domain (namely Mickey Mouse).

However, for most old Mac software an owner can be found, at least for the
commercial software.  The real problem is that the owners aren't willing
sell licenses, and at the same time they aren't willing to allow it to be
copied.  In the case of software, there should realistically be some sort of
setup where once you can no longer buy a version of that software, a license 
key that the Library of Congress holds, is released.  In an ideal world that
would include the source code, but as a programmer, I can understand why
release of source code is even less likely.

On an interesting note, from something I read, the first Beatles Beatles album
becomes public domain in 2013 in the UK, and 50's and 60's Pop music that 
still sells a lot has or soon will fall into the public domain in the UK.

		Zane