How do you "plunder" the public domain? Is there not an army of pedants out there eager to tell me that copyright infringement isn't stealing because it doesn't deprive anybody of anything? Is it not the point of the public domain that anybody can use it?
I think the idea is that they use it as much as possible, but haven't contributed a single thing back, given that copyright has always been extended long enough to keep Mickey under copyright. Not to mention the trademark issues.
Plunder doesn't seem like the right word for that, though.
See what? You just used the same word in the same context, and it makes just as little sense as it did before. Using the public domain isn't "plundering", nor does it magically become "plundering" when a hypocrite, corporation, or hypocritical corporation does it. It's a completely normal and desirable aspect of having a public domain.
I think you have this impression that "plundering the public domain" is somehow a bad thing - maybe that's where the misunderstanding comes from. I don't think anyone who's using the term thinks plundering the public domain is a bad thing - we all wish the public domain was even larger, so there would be more plundering going on.
I think you have this impression that "plundering the public domain" is somehow a bad thing
I think using the public domain is a good thing. I think that describing it as "raiding" and "plundering" when someone you don't like does it is bullshit.
I don't think anyone who's using the term thinks plundering the public domain is a bad thing
Then why would you use the word plundering to describe it? That's like saying rape is part of a normal and healthy marriage. If you don't mean rape, don't call it rape.
How do you "plunder" the public domain? Is there not an army of pedants out there eager to tell me that copyright infringement isn't stealing because it doesn't deprive anybody of anything? Is it not the point of the public domain that anybody can use it?