petersuberFeb 10, 2023

Kudos to the New York Public Library (#NYPL) for mining this vein of gold beneath our feet.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/epzyde/librarians-are-finding-thousands-of-books-no-longer-protected-by-copyright-law

"NYPL has been reviewing the US #Copyright Office’s official…records for [books] whose copyrights haven’t been renewed…The books in question were published between 1923 & 1964, before changes to US copyright law removed the requirement for rights holders to renew their copyrights…Around 65 -75% of rights holders opted not to renew their copyrights."

#PublicDomain
🧵

Librarians Are Finding Thousands Of Books No Longer Protected By Copyright Law

Up to 75 percent of books published before 1964 may now be in the public domain, according to researchers at the New York Public Library.

Show threadpetersuberFeb 10, 2023

If most rightsholders didn't renew their copyrights, when renewal was required to maintain copyright protection, this supports Lawrence @lessig's proposal to reinstate the renewal requirement. See e.g. his _Future of Ideas_ (2001), p. 252:
https://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/dlc/bitstream/handle/10535/5710/lessig_FOI.pdf

"If a copyright isn’t worth it to an author to renew for a modest fee, then it isn’t worth it to society to support —through an array of criminal and civil statutes— the monopoly protected."

#Copyright #Renewal #Monopoly #PublicDomain

Show threadSimon LucyFeb 10, 2023

@petersuber @lessig

And creators that can't afford it lose their rights?

Show threadlevel 5 troon hazardFeb 10, 2023
@simon_lucy @petersuber @lessig the renewal is still decades after the initial release lmao
Show threadSimon LucyFeb 10, 2023

@dangerdyke @petersuber @lessig

But whilst they are still alive? Would you have homeowners buy their own house again in order to promote open property?

Show threadParticle Man GaryFeb 11, 2023

@simon_lucy @dangerdyke @petersuber @lessig as a homeowner I can tell you that, yes, I must give the State money every year in order for them to keep enforcing my sole interest in the property.

Why should intellectual property be any different?

Show threadSimon LucyFeb 11, 2023

@beamdriver @dangerdyke @petersuber @lessig

Property taxes are something else and for a different purpose to help finance public services.

Unless you're saying that a copyright fee ( the US would be the only country charging it), is a tax on creators.

Show threadParticle Man Gary

@simon_lucy @dangerdyke @petersuber @lessig the thing is, property comes with responsibilities as well as rights. The copyright system has value, but it also has costs.

If you're asking the state to keep enforcing a monopoly on the content you've created after some nominal period, say 25 years or so, it's not unreasonable to ask the rights holder to check in at that point, and pay a modest fee and confirm that they want this monopoly to continue.

Feb 11, 2023 at 4:13pmWeb
Show threadSimon LucyFeb 11, 2023

@beamdriver @dangerdyke @petersuber @lessig

What costs?
Copyright is not about value, nor is it a monopoly. Copyright is the control of who can distribute, it doesn't have to be exclusive most often there are different agreements in different markets.

It is not a state enforcing a monopoly, it's an international agreement that all creators of covered work have automatic protection.