There's also an article on Yahoo! about the case as well: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020219/ap_on_go_su_co/sc otus_internet_libraries_6
Dave M > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of John W. > Mangrum > Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 1:46 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Ogf-l] Disney and Copyright Law > > > Considering how often the topic has come up in discussions here, I > thought I'd pass this along. > > John W. Mangrum > > --------------------------- > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,653128,00.html > > Copyright case threatens Disney > > David Teather in New York > Wednesday February 20, 2002 > The Guardian > > Walt Disney could lose copyright over Mickey Mouse in as little as two > years after the US supreme court agreed to hear the arguments for > overturning existing rules. > > The case, which will not be heard until at least October, could prove > devastating for Disney. Copyrights on other big money-making characters, > including Donald Duck, Pluto and Goofy would also lapse within a few > years if the law were overturned. > > The case is being brought by Eric Eldred, who is trying to build an > online library of free books and is more concerned with works of > literature than Disney. He argues that a 20-year extension to existing > copyrights granted in 1998, the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, > violates free-speech rights. > > Disney is not the only company that would be adversely affected if the > law is overturned. Works by Ernest Hemmingway, F Scott Fitzgerald and > the music of George and Ira Gershwin would also lose their copyright > shortly as would many properties owned by AOL Time Warner. > > "The law created a dam that prevented a lot of works from entering the > public domain," Mr Eldred said. "It is a real shame - because they want > to protect Mickey Mouse it is causing a lot of other works to be > unavailable." > > Under existing law, works owned by corporations are now protected for 95 > years, while a new work owned by an individual receives protection for > the life of the author plus 70 years. The Sonny Bono extension brought > US copyright law into line with Europe. > > A Disney spokeswoman said the extension had the support of "a broad > coalition from the creative community". Characters or works that lose > copyright fall into the public domain, and can be used without royalties > payments. > _______________________________________________ > Ogf-l mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l > _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
