We’ve been fairly vocal in our opposition to legislation extending copyright — after all, copyright protection was established as a sort of quid pro quo. The government would protect an artist’s creation; in return, the artist would give back to society, in the form of works moving into the public domain after a certain period of time. Thus the financial/creative needs of the artist were nicely balanced with society’s investment in art. This method worked for a long time, and the arrangement was satisfactory for both parties.
Then came Mickey Mouse (we still cannot type that word without doing a little song) and the potential loss of millions. Copyright law was changed. Society remains the chief enforcer of an artist’s copyright, yet receives less and less in return for its investment. The irony of Disney arguing against works moving into the public domain has never failed to amaze us. Where would they be today if it weren’t for the freely available works of artists?
But we’ve always had a soft spot for the children of the Great Ormond Street Hospital. It has warmed our cold little heart to know that they were better off thanks to Peter Pan. The loss of Pan-related revenue gives us pause. We won’t change our original position — copyright protection is out of control, in our opinion — but we do hope the Hospital finds a solution. Either that or Disney pulls a JM Barrie. You know how we feel about karma.
