[Coco] Copyright

[gene heskett]

On Sunday, January 16, 2011 12:26:12 am Allen Huffman did opine:

> Interesting ideas, Gene. I like copyright as long as it can be
> renewed... I think of games that went away, then became orphanware,
> then came back as hot sellers (like a 25th Anniversary edition). Had
> they fallen in to public domain after seven years, they may ever have
> gotten a shot to do anything.
> 
> So... What happens when the copyright holder cannot be found? When I was
> first getting in to computers, I seem to recall you had to register
> things to be copyright. But, an update made everything copyright by
> default...
> 
> So if the author dies, and no heirs... What should happen?
 
That should make it public domain 6 months after the coffin is closed.  
That way there may be some income the estates executor could use for his 
final expenses.

> If Tandy owns copyright, but no longer exists because someone else
> bought then and couldn't find the records if they had to (that's pretty
> much happened), what should happen?

IMO, public domain, or revert to the author if he still lives, with his 
initial fee waived so its up to that author to exploit it if he wants to 
keep it.  That should suit Steve B. I think as I sort of read between the 
lines that he may be in the middle, not that desirable a place to be.  
OTOH, I may be reading the wrong clue book here too so I'll let Steve 
clarify if he thinks it needs to be.  IMO if he has rights shared with a 
producer, but the producer isn't interested in under 100k pieces, then it 
should by default revert to Steve more or less automatically, and he can 
sell them online then without the actual build the carts expenses unless 
the cart needs specific hardware in the cart, which I know many of his 
games do require.  Not having a ready supplier of the cartridge hardware 
puts Steve in a bind too.  And I personally find that sad.  The market to 
be sure is small, but it is there, and there should be a way for Steve to 
supply it and make some money from it.

> Like trademark, you have to fight to keep it and prove it's active...
> But with copyright, I might write something called "2025" planning on
> it being a huge seller in the year 2025 and if I do nothing with it
> until then, I wouldn't want to lose it, and I also don't want to be
> fighting people off for a decade defending the rights to my stuff.
> 
> Tandy owns many copyrights... Is there a challenge clause? Prove you
> want to keep this or we will make it public domain?

Not that I am aware of.  It sounds like a heck of a good idea though.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
The adjective is the banana peel of the parts of speech.
		-- Clifton Fadiman