Okay, I've already played two hours of tennis and my brain is oxygen deprived, but I don't know what people are complaining about.
1) This copyright law conforming to the Berne Treaty has already existed in the US for twenty years or so. It was originally intended for a very simple reason -- there were many art works that were produced all over the world where the artist didn't see the need to correspond to America's officious copyright laws (copyrights being entered into LOC records within a certain number of months, renewed after a certain amount of time, proper copyright at the proper place in the film, a 35mm print sent to the LOC, etc.), even if it was the greatest, most wonderful country in the world. Their film is protected by their country's laws, why should another country allow it to go public domain because of 3rd world-like technicalities and bureaucracy. In fact, there were MANY a case where a US distributor would not properly copyright a film so when it came up for renewal, they could claim it's in the public domain and so they not only didn't they have to pay a renewal fee, they stopped paying royalties. Absolutely true story. So the treaty was adopted by Congress to conform our copyright laws to the rest of the world and stopped being what we accuse China as these days, copyright thieves. 2) So if we didn't like the Soviets and recognize their copyrights, it's right now that we should steal from their artists? (Like they're doing to us these days on the internet?) 3) The case before the supreme court is to strike down this treaty. So if the Supreme Court decided in favor of the plaintiffs, there would be MORE freedom for users. And less justice for artists outside our borders. But I do like Ron Hall. -- Best, Dennis Doros Milestone Film & Video/Milliarium Zero PO Box 128 Harrington Park, NJ 07640 Phone: 201-767-3117 Fax: 201-767-3035 email: [email protected] www.milestonefilms.com www.ontheboweryfilm.com www.arayafilm.com www.exilesfilm.com www.wordisoutmovie.com www.killerofsheep.com AMIA Austin 2011: www.amianet.org Join "Milestone Film" on Facebook!
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