Re: Eric Eldrid Act

["Laurie Urquiaga" <Urquiagal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

While I think that this is good as far as it goes, I'd add one more wrinke:
impose a reasonable statutory royalty fee for works that are out of print but
still under copyright, so that there is a legal way for a person to get a
'new' copy of a work that a publisher doesn't want to maintain in print but
won't let go into the public domain.


Laureen C. Urquiaga
Associate Director for Access Services
Law School Copyright Coordinator

urquiagal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


>>> "Neal Pomea" <npomea@xxxxxxxx> 1/27/03 6:22:02 AM >>>
In response to the stunning decision in Eldred v. Ashcroft, we have come
up with an idea that we would like discussed here.

It is for a tiny tax on works in the 50th year of copyright.  If the tax
is not paid, the work would enter the public domain.  Thus works with no
commercial value would enter the public domain much as they would
earlier when the term expired.  Works with commercial value would be
paid for and would enjoy the current copyright term.  The tax could go
to support the registration process.

What do you think?