On: The Tragedy of Google Books (2017)

[Animats]

We need a Copyright Term Reduction Act.

It's time. 50 years, renewal is possible but expensive.

[mjevans → Animats]

Just my opinion but as a starting point for the argument...

  * 20 years from date of first publish (renewable up to CAP? 50 years)
  * Must remain available every year
  * 10 year renewal blocks with massive registration fee increases
  * Compulsory maximum license fee cap (can offer for less) in the laws

Note this is not TRADE MARK; trade marks are _consumer protection_ related to 'brand ownership'.

[js8 → Animats]

Google Books is a tragedy of the commons problem, created by copyright, which is supposedly a solution to the tragedy of the commons problem.

[ASalazarMX → Animats]

Even 50 is a lot, because it starts at the death of the author. Popular culture shouldn't remain locked out for generations. 50 maximum would be ideal, two generations from the one who experienced it in the original cultural context.

[Animats → ASalazarMX]

50 years from first publication. That's all the TRIPS agreement requires.[1]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIPS_Agreement

[ASalazarMX → Animats]

And that's still a lot, since fifty years from publication is the minimum to abide to TRIPS, but we're used to much worse, so it doesn't sound as bad now. It could be shorter, things move a lot faster nowadays, a single generation of monopoly means more today than a hundred years ago.

[gosub100 → Animats]

And reign in the damages for infringement to some amount closer to what was actually lost. For instance, if someone has a million books on a drive they haven't deprived the publisher of a million sales for chrissakes