copy protected media

[Douglas Pollard]

On 07/11/2010 07:30 PM, A. Kromic wrote:
> On 12/07/10 01:13, Douglas Pollard wrote:
>    
>> I worked on TV
>> commercials and based on that, And I am going here from memory  I think
>> the term may have been Indefinitely.  I wouldn't go to court with only
>> this in my pocket But I believe I am right.  In any case Life plus 90
>> years is as much a rip off as forever for all practical purposes when
>> compared to the patent of a productive invention for twenty years.
>> There was a time when automotive inventions were only good for one year
>> for fear that one Auto manufacturer  would run all the others out of
>> business in a couple years time.
>>        Think about this, it is within the real possibility that a
>> software manufacturer could write a program so innovative that no one
>> could write  a competitive program and no one could compete for 190
>> years.  I guess we will have to wait to see if that happens??
>>
>>            Doug
>>
>>
>>      
> Copyright cannot  last indefinitely by its very concept. Of course, such
> lengths make it look so from our viewpoint - most (all?) of us will not
> see the copyrights of works made today lapse during our lifetimes...
>
> And the innovative program you mentioned, copyright has nothing with it.
> It doesn't stop people to recreate the same functionality in another
> similar program (clone it); well perhaps if a revolutionary algorithm is
> invented which cannot be easily figured out, but I don't believe even
> that would prevent people to compete. The actual danger lurking in such
> cases are software patents...
>
> A.Kromic
>
>    
Even software programs if patented would only be good for twenty years. 
Of course that is a lifetime in computer devopment time.  At the same 
time they patent medicine, and 20 years may be lifetime there too.  As 
to an inovative program that runs everyone else out of buisness, it may 
not have been conceived of yet but just because we can't imagine it, 
doesn't mean it is not a possibility.  When I was a kid in school a 
computer was unimaginable too.  I am curious now and will check on the 
copyright time length on a performance.  I am sure there is info on this 
on line.  I know that about everybody that worked in the business 
thought it was so?      Doug