[Bush2000]

In fact, the Constitution explicitly rejects the "property" model in favor of the "bargain" model (the government gives you a monopoly for a limited time, after which the work matures into the public domain).

Semantics, Stevie. It doesn't invalidate my statement.

[dheretic]

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

What part of that from the US Constitution refers to writings and discoveries as property rather than means of promoting the sciences and the arts? What part of for limited times is so hard for people like you and Don Joe to understand? Limited times does not imply "lifetime of the creator plus x years." Yeah, it would still be limited if the law said that "copyrights now last as long as the US Government exists," but we both know that's not what the founders meant...

[steve-b]

Sorry, the rest of us use plain English, and reject Clinton2000's efforts to dismiss it as "semantics".