[supercat]

Thanks for beating the drum regarding Franklin and recognition of intellectual property (IP) rights. In reading constitutions of other governments, you may occasionally encounter references to property and rights. I have yet to find another constitution which recognizes intellectual property. I believe the reward and protection of IP is one of the most powerful elements contributing to the success of our country.

Unfortunately, our Congress has taken the clause to justify policies which are harmful to developments in the arts and sciences. Suppose, in the year 2100, I find a piece of work with a notice "Copyright 1980 John Smith". A copyright search finds nothing. By what means could I determine whether the work is in the public domain?

[Congressman Billybob]

Copyrights expire after a certain number of years, and also have some relation to the live of the author. That used to be 75 years. As a result, Irvin Berlin outlived his copyright on "Alexander's Ragtime Band," which he wrote when he was 21.

Copyright information is kept at the Library of Congress.

John / Billybob

[Atlas Sneezed]

Odds are, just like today, if the work is worth reprinting, then you should be able to find a "rights chasing" agency that can track down the owner based on the title and name.

But you raise a good point for simple registration. Just as a domain owner must keep a valid address on file for the public to be able to contact him, maybe there should be some obligation of the rights owner, and failure to be contactable causes the rights to lapse.

The real problem is not determining if something is in the public domain, but finding the rights owner when it is not.