• eestileib
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    24
    ·
    1 year ago

    Congress will extend copyright again, they always do.

    • AEsheron@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      20
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Disney seems to have seen some writing on the wall and pivoted into a trademark focus instead of endless copyright extensions. This is probably why they’ve been using Steamboat Willy more in some logos in the past few years. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see another extension, but it’s never gotten this close before and they don’t seem to be campaigning to extend it at the moment.

      • barsoap@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Even if they could get it through in the US plenty other countries would just ignore them.

    • frezik@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      There is no way that happens at this point. It’s not procedurally possible for Congress to pass one by the end of the year. Even a Congress that can get things done faster than the Congress we actually have would not be able to do it. Disney would have to have started the process 5 years ago.

      And there’s a very good reason for that. Since the last copyright extension, Disney can get everything they want with trademark law instead of copyright. They also saw what happened with public outrage over Net Neutrality; the Internet was nascent the last time copyright was extended, but grassroots mobilization would rise up against them this time around. The fight would be expensive, and they don’t need to have it. They can let Steamboat Willy go into public domain on Jan 1 without any great loss.

      I’ve been saying this for three years now: https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/lbyttl/comment/gm00zl0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

      And 5 months ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/12yh7to/comment/jhnj7k4/

      People seem to be convinced that the worst thing that can happen will definitely happen. It shows little understanding of how copyright and trademark works, how Congress gets things done, and why Disney doesn’t need to pick a fight on this issue. Their lawyers are evil, but not dumb.

      • Piers@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        People seem to be convinced that the worst thing that can happen will definitely happen.

        I mean… The last decade or so of general events seems to suggest that’s the most likely outcome in most situations.

        • frezik@midwest.social
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          So much so that their brain fell out?

          Especially when Disney has been going through a bunch of bullshit against DeSantis. His petty fight against the company also means the party that controls the House will be actively working against them just because they can.