Another Look at Copyright Law

Mickey Mouse and I don’t usually see eye to eye, but on the issue of copyright protection, the rodent and his handlers have it right (“The Cultural Anarchist vs. the Hollywood Police State,” by David Streitfeld, Sept. 22). Why should copyright be the only property right that is time-limited? We don’t require that Bill Gates surrender his fortune to the public domain or that David Geffen deed his Malibu beach house to us. Why should the heirs not inherit the rich guys’ stuff? It’s the American way.

For the struggling writer, artist or musician, copyright is a valuable asset. While the original work may not be successful immediately, the future exploitation of the copyright may prove a bonanza. Why else would the rodent and his Hollywood pals always be on the lookout to buy hot properties?

If the quixotic Larry Lessig really needs a cause to champion, maybe he should tackle the problem of creative people who are manipulated into selling off their copyrights far too quickly and cheaply. That’s where the real injustice lies.

Ursula Britton

Ventura

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The unique combination of digital technologies and the Internet, from which corporate America was intending to profit when the government relinquished control over the Internet and placed it in the hands of business, has created an additional scenario that no one foresaw: placing into the hands of the average consumer the same power to distribute images, sounds and text that had been reserved only for the largest corporations.

The resulting efforts by the entertainment industry to discourage this behavior has, so far, either proved fruitless, had very limited success or has angered and upset many citizens--some of whom have been emboldened to ignore and even flout current law. Efforts by the entertainment industry to further restrict what is perceived as fair use of copyrighted material is aggravating the problem even more. Extending copyright appears to be seen as an effort to benefit corporations, not the average citizen or society as a whole. There appears to be little or no effort toward a sincere dialogue or understanding of both sides, which could go far in resolving the matter and evolve the current distribution of entertainment into something far greater than it is now.

Abrey Myers

Granada Hills