[Dixielandjazz] Copyrights

[Edgerton, Paul A]

The original purpose of Copyrights in the US was to provide a reasonable
time for an author to profit from his work and then to ensure his work
enters the public domain for the benefit of all.  The trade off was a period
of exclusive protection in exchange for subsequently releasing the work to
the public.  The meaning of "a reasonable time" was 7 years, with a 7 year
extension during the author's lifetime.

What we have today is so far removed from the aim of ensuring that work end
up in the public domain as to be a vicious joke.  Today's intellectual
property laws amount to a corporate welfare program.  When the law is so far
removed from reality that unreasonable methods are necessary to enforce it,
and when the bulk of the population ignores it -- it's time to change the
law.

-- Paul Edgerton, IANAL, thank you very much.