Here’s the way the media corporations see things; If we create something, we want to be able to make money off that work for as long as possible (preferably indefinitely!). If we’re only going to be able to profit from such a work for the next 20 years, it’s not worth it for us to create anything. Therefore, give us a ridiculous length of time to profit from the works we hold the copyrights to and that’ll be the incentive for us to create new works.

I fully expect that within the next decade, the media industries will mount a serious campaign to make copyrights permanent, rather than limited. They’ll probably succeed too, since the US government seems willing to bend over for whatever laws the corporations want.

Currently American law allows for maximum statutory damages of $150,000 per song. In theory actual damages (which includes the profits) may be far greater if the infringer, which must be a record company who sold millions of copies. In theory only.

And speaking of personal experience, the record company, when sued, simply does not show up for trial and then gets a $150,000 sentence, then skips town and pays nothing and the judge, the FBI think nothing of it.

The big stick is only for the Jammie Thomases.

Take for example Bing Crosby (I don’t listen, but my father does): Why should you be paying full price for his CDs – he’s been dead for 20+ years and recorded those songs in the 50s and 60s. Who’s making the money now? Some record company or rich guy (ie: Micheal Jackson) that bought up some old copyrights?

Welcome to the dark ages 2.0