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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dire Bare" data-source="post: 7689825" data-attributes="member: 18182">I'd argue for IP to be protected for at least the life of the artist. I think that JK Rowling should be able to reap the insane Harry Profits until she finally passes from this world, it encourages other to pursue their dreams of being novelists.Extending IP rights beyond the life of the original artist encourages corporations to give tons of money to the original creators, like Disney has done with Star Wars. Lucas profited quite nicely while he maintained control over Star Wars, and when he tired of managing that control, made a final bucket load of money with the sale to Disney. This also encourages folks to become filmmakers.But, how long after the original creators death or transfer of rights should IP rights continue to exist? I don't have an answer for that one. It has to be long enough to incentivize those with money (corporations) to reward those with ideas (original artists). However, currently it seems that corporate influence in government is going to just keep extending those rights into a practical infinity, which I don't think is a good thing. At some point, Mickey Mouse, Captain America, and Luke Skywalker DO need to enter the public domain.It gets trickier with the evolution of "shared universes" like Star Wars, D&D, DC, and Marvel. The mega-superhero franchises are probably the best example. We can trace the creation of "Superman" to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, but the larger shared DC universe? It wouldn't exist without DC/Warner Bros managing and controlling it. Comic writers and artists today (many, not all) jump at the chance to have their own unique creations "added" to this larger universe, they find value in adding to the existing property rather than trying to go out on their own. If Superman entered public domain but the larger DC universe chugged along without him . . . Every novelist who writes a new D&D story for WotC transfers full IP over to the company. RA Salvatore does not own Drizzt, Erin Evans does not own Farideh (the "Brimstone Angel"), but neither of them would be the successful novelists they are today without this larger, shared D&D universe controlled by a corporation that will likely never relinquish IP rights if they can help it. When should the Forgotten Realms enter the public domain and lose the management of WotC? I really don't know. But if I'm still purchasing and reading FR novels published by WotC (or their successor) when I'm in my 90s, I'll be happy.Whatever the "right" answer is, I do think a sea change is coming (or really, is already happening). Talented fans have all the tools they need to create derivative works with the same level of quality as the "official" works, and it will be increasingly hard for the corporations that own the IP to maintain control. I don't know how things will play out, and if they net changes will be an improvement over current circumstances or a regression on supporting the flourishing of quality art.</blockquote>

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