> I've never heard that described as the purpose of copyright law. Why would it be?
That's because those who benefit from it don't want you to know the original purpose.
If that's not the purpose, why even have copyright at all? It's strictly a rent-seeking behavior.
> I believe you're thinking of patent law.
Copyrights were originally for a term of 14 years... the same as patents. I'm not confused about them.
> There's nothing equivalent with copyright law.
These are referenced in the US Constitution itself. And yet you're apparently ignorant of the purpose behind them. Why do you think copyright exists? So that random assholes can stake out some arbitrary permutation of ideaspace and collect tolls til the end of eternity?
They included it so that creative people would be encouraged to create works that would eventually enter the public domain.
That's because those who benefit from it don't want you to know the original purpose.
If that's not the purpose, why even have copyright at all? It's strictly a rent-seeking behavior.
> I believe you're thinking of patent law.
Copyrights were originally for a term of 14 years... the same as patents. I'm not confused about them.
> There's nothing equivalent with copyright law.
These are referenced in the US Constitution itself. And yet you're apparently ignorant of the purpose behind them. Why do you think copyright exists? So that random assholes can stake out some arbitrary permutation of ideaspace and collect tolls til the end of eternity?
They included it so that creative people would be encouraged to create works that would eventually enter the public domain.