We lost, and now, if copyright law stays the way it is right now, nothing is going to go into the public domain for at least 18 years. (Maybe longer, if the copyright term is extended again.)
The Public Domain Enhancement Act is the same thing as the "Eldred Act" that many of you have been asking me about over the last few months. At the time, I couldn't explain it to anyone. But it turns out it's pretty simple.
The law would place works in the public domain after 50 years unless a copyright holder sent in a dollar to secure the later 80+ years of protection. That's it.
You can help out right now by signing this petition.
We'll figure out how to rebuild the public domain yet!Posted by Lisa at June 04, 2003 02:22 PM | TrackBack