Try to think of an iconic photo—say Sonny Liston on the mat with Cassius Clay standing over him. Or Marilyn Monroe standing, holding her dress over the grate. Or Ansel Adam’s photos of Yosemite (although many of those were shot for the government, and are in the PD I think.)
Do the photographers who took those photos have the right to continue to sell the rights to them?
The only way MY shots would be valuable that long is if one of these dopey college kids ends up being President!
But to answer your question, “Yes.” I do think that an “artist” has the right to protect their works and profit from them.
Yes, anyone can go to their children’s college football game and take pictures. I am sure with a little finesse they could even wrangle their way to the sidelines. But, standing side by side with these people I can make photos that are spectacular to their mundane. Why, because I shoot sixty games per season. This fall, between August 15th and November 15th, I shot about 230 events (games.) Sometimes two or three or four a day. I made nearly half a million photo images. I AM better than most people at my job. Probably in the 95 percentile, easy.
Why shouldn’t I protect my product. I just don’t get why people don’t think I should. Can I take apart my Smith and Wesson 1911 and start making it in my garage? Or are there licenses and patents that make that illegal. It is the same thing.
Do they? - under the current law I would suppose they do. Should they? - After 56 years, It is my opinion that they should not. If it's a picture worth caring about, it is most likely of wider cultural value, and should be public domain by then. If it isn't worth caring about, then it's a moot point.
I could even be alright with a copyright that extended through the life of the work's creator - but I think it is beyond ridiculous that artistic works have gained a seemingly indefinite-length copyright.
Why shouldn’t I protect my product. I just don’t get why people don’t think I should. Can I take apart my Smith and Wesson 1911 and start making it in my garage? Or are there licenses and patents that make that illegal. It is the same thing.
You should protect your product - but there is no reason that someone's estate should reap benefits indefinitely from someone long gone.
As far as patents - apparently it's not the same thing, since the laws differ, but they too expire after a given amount of time (and rightly so). It is the fact that they expire that allows others to understand and improve on them.