Re: Mutopia and copyright

[Jan Nieuwenhuizen]

David Raleigh Arnold <address@hidden> writes:

> > The whole of the EU has 70 (or will soon).  The UK changed in 1996.  (Or
> > was it 1995?).
> 
> Make no mistake, I am 100% in favor of 70 years.
> What is the justification for changing it?

There is none.  Copyright was invented to encourage and enable writers
(and later other artists such as composers) to go on and create more
works of art.  How an artist can be encouraged (or enabled for that
matter) seventy years after he died is a mystery to me.

> Why was it changed to 70 years?

It makes more money for the big records companies.

> I am interested in arguments in favor of 70 years to start on
> getting it changed here also.  :-)

Your govenment won't stand firm for the rights of its people.  It will
be bought by the record companies too, don't worry.

Jan.

-- 
Jan Nieuwenhuizen <address@hidden> | GNU LilyPond - The music typesetter
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jantien       | http://www.lilypond.org