[Coco] Re: [Color Computer] Fw: Copyright

[Ward Griffiths]

On 07/09/2005 12:56 am, Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Friday 08 July 2005 21:37, Mike Pepe wrote:
> >Gene Heskett wrote:
> >> Absolutely.  Mickey was about to become PD, and Disney couldn't
> >> allow that, so he bought every congress-critter he could and got
> >> this abomination passed.
> >
> >I don't have a problem with Diznee keeping the mouse copyrighted.
> > The mouse represents significant money to them and they actively
> > use it.
>
> I do have a problem with that, a big, write my congress-critters
> problem.  The founding fathers originally setup copyright to last
> IIRC 17 years, with an optional additional 17 years if the renewall
> fee was paid.  And it had to be actively registered in order to be
> granted the monopoly.  After that the material was to pass
> irrevocably into the public domain.  This kept us in fresh literary
> writings quite well.  It also allowed imitators to innovate without
> fear of being sued out of their homes if they wrote a similar work.
>
> The key word is innovation.  Now, if anyone writes a story involving a
> mouse, Disney will exert sufficient pressure to quash the work, and
> another promiseing author of childrens books or such will be flipping
> burgers at McD's.

The copyright issue doesn't prevent anybody from writing stories about mice or 
making cartoons with mice.  Plenty of kids' books involving mice have been 
and will continue to be written.  The specific characteristics of Mickey are 
trademarked, and trademarks can and always could be eternal.  The copyright 
issue prevents anybody from selling copies of "Steamboat Willie" or any later 
Disney cartoons without paying Disney's corporate heirs for permission.
-- 
Ward Griffiths    wdg3rd at comcast.net

"I predicted that if control of drugs were administrated by law
enforcement agencies, the result would be a black market more irrational
and widespread than that of alcohol prohibition and the growth of
enormous police-state repressive bureaucracy." Dr. Timothy Leary


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