>Yes, it does--if a buisness holds the copyright (say, your small buisness
>incorporates, and they get the copyright... or it's a "work for hire" to
>your own buisness) you can see it lapse--and that shouldn't happen.
The obvious question is why NOT? If you are an inventor and you patent an
invention - you don't get to keep it forever. Just because you are the
first person to *write down* an idea, concept, or name, why should you have
the right to prevent anyone else who is creative and industrious from
writing down that concept or name for the rest of your life?
You are not considering that copyright law can also be used in a way that
significantly restricts trade and competition. For instance, lets say I
come up with a new concept in storytelling. I want to own this concept
completely, so I immediately set about publishing as much material as I can
containing names, concepts, combinations, and variations on my original
concept - whether the publication is profitable or not. I even set a team
of people working on brainstorming all of the new and potentially
interesting variations - them publish them in unprofitable supplements
specifically so I can maintain control of the central, profitable IP. I
even go to the trouble of buying up the significant popular movie and book
IP that could tie in to my concept - so that nobody can use that IP to lure
folks away from my core concepts. I then take a very rigorous and litigious
stance against any who intrude on my domain.
This scenario is without question a case of taking actions that restrain
trade and eliminate competition, and without question is harmful to the
market.
This is also *not* an uncommon scenario.
The constitutional limitations on copyright were intended to prevent just
such situations from continuing indefinitely.
Faust
PS: OK so we're way off topic BUT we need *something* to jabber on about
until the SRD is in our grubby little hands ...
So read the OGF FAQ *again* at:
http://www.earth1066.com/D20FAQ.htm
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