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If it is not me as the original artist/author, but a rightsholding corporation, or one of my ne’er-do-well descendants, even if he has taken up continuing the comic strip after my repose and gets beaten out by your artistically-superior reworking of my idea now in the public domain, my shade will play the world’s smallest violin as part of your swooning violins in mock-sympathy for the folks wanting continued monopoly rents on my ideas.

For that matter, if I’ve had them on the market for 28 years and can’t keep the loyalty of fans against a knock-off, I probably don’t deserve any more money for the idea.

First, I look forward to discussing your mark up of those copyright rules at the link.

Secondly...

If it is not me as the original artist/author, but a rightsholding corporation, or one of my ne’er-do-well descendants, even if he has taken up continuing the comic strip after my repose

Did you grant the heir the right to make derivative works ? After your death, your heirs could, I presume, grant themselves the right to make derivative works. They would then have their own copyright on the parts of the derivative works that were of their creation. Those copyrights of the derivative portions would then have their own expiration clock ticking, starting from when they were created.

The original copyrighted work that you did, however, would still be covered by the original copyright. Which will eventually expire. At which point, anyone can create other derivative works based on it, copy it as much as they want, etc.

For that matter, if I’ve had them on the market for 28 years and can’t keep the loyalty of fans against a knock-off, I probably don’t deserve any more money for the idea.

So the huge company should be able to just copy the works of po' little old me and run me into bankruptcy, without me having any legal recourse ?

BULLCRAP! Communist collective ‘for the common good’ concept.

How many songs have you stolen from free websites that violate copyright law? Godly? NO, talent comes from God and is meant to be used to make a living.

Those who can’t do teach instead of creating. And I was a teacher. Copyright law is necessary or CHAOS would ensue... since no one would have any idea of who said what, or who painted what, or who wrote what song...etc and so on.

Put your violin where the sun don’t shine.