Zyobot
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Post by Zyobot on Jan 15, 2019 14:04:59 GMT
Although it should be a while until their owners' exclusive rights to them expire (especially in the US, with term-lengthening legislation and all), what do we see for the future of currently-copyrighted works--such as Star Wars, the Marvel/DC franchises and other unlisted fiction--if and when they finally enter the public domain in a few decades' (or possibly centuries') time?
For example, how might future iterations of these universes look once people can freely adapt and profit from them without needing anyone else's permission?
Thank you in advance,
Zyobot
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 15, 2019 15:53:18 GMT
Although it should be a while until their owners' exclusive rights to them expire (especially in the US, with term-lengthening legislation and all), what do we see for the future of currently-copyrighted works--such as Star Wars, the Marvel/DC franchises and other unlisted fiction--if and when they finally enter the public domain in a few decades' (or possibly centuries') time? For example, how might future iterations of these universes look once people can freely adapt and profit from them without needing anyone else's permission? Thank you in advance, Zyobot You reaaly think Disney is going to give up big money makers like Star Wars ore the the Marvel/DC franchises with out a fight, depending it they still own it ore are still around in the future. Also do we know when they will run out of being Copyrighted Works and enter into the Public Domain. |
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Zyobot
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Post by Zyobot on Jan 15, 2019 16:32:05 GMT
Although it should be a while until their owners' exclusive rights to them expire (especially in the US, with term-lengthening legislation and all), what do we see for the future of currently-copyrighted works--such as Star Wars, the Marvel/DC franchises and other unlisted fiction--if and when they finally enter the public domain in a few decades' (or possibly centuries') time? For example, how might future iterations of these universes look once people can freely adapt and profit from them without needing anyone else's permission? Thank you in advance, Zyobot You reaaly think Disney is going to give up big money makers like Star Wars ore the the Marvel/DC franchises with out a fight, depending it they still own it ore are still around in the future. Also do we know when they will run out of being Copyrighted Works and enter into the Public Domain. I'm aware; that's part of why I mentioned the US's comparatively long and easily-extended copyright term in my prompt. I also know that Disney's repeated record of pushing the boundaries more and more isn't guaranteed to cease anytime soon. However, being that this is a Future History scenario, is it possible to extrapolate when these big entertainment business' exclusive rights finally end and what will happen if and when their works become part of the public domain? |
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 15, 2019 16:34:40 GMT
when their works become part of the public domain? Well every company out there will make their own version of the franchises that have entered into Public Domain i guess, |
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Zyobot
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Post by Zyobot on Jan 15, 2019 21:54:03 GMT
when their works become part of the public domain? Well every company out there will make their own version of the franchises that have entered into Public Domain i guess, I don't think that literally every such company would make their own version of a work that's now in the public domain. For example, no one has exclusive rights to Sherlock Holmes anymore (though subsequent iterations are a different story); that doesn't mean that everyone in the entire entertainment industry has created and released their own take on him, as far as I know of at least. |
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 16, 2019 4:12:30 GMT
Well every company out there will make their own version of the franchises that have entered into Public Domain i guess, I don't think that literally every such company would make their own version of a work that's now in the public domain. For example, no one has exclusive rights to Sherlock Holmes anymore (though subsequent iterations are a different story); that doesn't mean that everyone in the entire entertainment industry has created and released their own take on him, as far as I know of at least. Yes but franchises like Star Wars ore Marvel are much more worth than a Sherlock Holmes. |
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Zyobot
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Post by Zyobot on Jan 16, 2019 14:55:05 GMT
I don't think that literally every such company would make their own version of a work that's now in the public domain. For example, no one has exclusive rights to Sherlock Holmes anymore (though subsequent iterations are a different story); that doesn't mean that everyone in the entire entertainment industry has created and released their own take on him, as far as I know of at least. Yes but franchises like Star Wars ore Marvel are much more worth than a Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps so. Nonetheless, even assuming that just about every industry player came out with their own iterations of such iconic fiction, I still think that their target market would eventually become bored and want something new. In other words, I wouldn't count on a wave of new spins on already-established works to last very long. |
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 16, 2019 16:22:31 GMT
Yes but franchises like Star Wars ore Marvel are much more worth than a Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps so. Nonetheless, even assuming that just about every industry player came out with their own iterations of such iconic fiction, I still think that their target market would eventually become bored and want something new. In other words, I wouldn't count on a wave of new spins on already-established works to last very long. While this is not future history i still find it a interesting article: These 1923 Copyrighted Works Enter the Public Domain in 2019 |
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Zyobot
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Post by Zyobot on Jan 16, 2019 16:53:59 GMT
Perhaps so. Nonetheless, even assuming that just about every industry player came out with their own iterations of such iconic fiction, I still think that their target market would eventually become bored and want something new. In other words, I wouldn't count on a wave of new spins on already-established works to last very long. While this is not future history i still find it a interesting article: These 1923 Copyrighted Works Enter the Public Domain in 2019Hopefully, these works will stay that way now that they've just recently entered it. Though this has been called into question by me doing some additional Google searching, I once read that--at least in the United States--people can apply to become rightsholders to works they didn't create even if they've already entered the public domain.That, and there's the more immediate threat of Disney or some other big entertainment company lobbying to extend copyright protection terms again. I'm no expert, but I don't see why US legislators would've agreed to renew their exclusive rights when it further restricts free expression and gives the government yet another chore to do. But that discussion's for a different thread. |
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 16, 2019 17:03:15 GMT
Hopefully, these works will stay that way now that they've just recently entered it. Though this has been called into question by me doing some additional Google searching, I once read that--at least in the United States--people can apply to become rightsholders to works they didn't create even if they've already entered the public domain.That, and there's the more immediate threat of Disney or some other big entertainment company lobbying to extend copyright protection terms again. I'm no expert, but I don't see why US legislators would've agreed to renew their exclusive rights when it further restricts free expression and gives the government yet another chore to do. But that discussion's for a different thread. Found something for Star War: Public domain for Star Wars?
And this website as well: Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States |
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kyng
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Post by kyng on Jan 17, 2019 22:01:41 GMT
The thing is, even if Star Wars did enter the public domain on schedule, that doesn't mean that anybody could just "make their own iteration of that universe". The copyright would have expired; however, Disney (or whoever owns them by then) would still retain the trademarks. It's like how Steamboat Willie is due to enter the public domain in 2023: even if it does, that doesn't mean that anybody will be able to write their own Mickey Mouse stories, because Disney will still have the trademark for him. It just means people will be able to distribute and make copies of Steamboat Willie, and use pieces of it in their own works.
Of course, Disney probably doesn't make a lot of money from Steamboat Willie these days - and, I'm not sure how much they'll be making from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 2072. Perhaps, by that point, technology will have moved on so far that the Star Wars original trilogy will just seem old and stupid to kids growing up in that era. Even if the franchise is still going strong and raking in money by the bucketload, it may well be that the vast majority of people are watching some 2050s holographic 3D remake, and not the 1977 original.
It's sad, but the onward pace of technology is relentless.
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Zyobot
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Post by Zyobot on Jan 18, 2019 3:22:15 GMT
kyngAh yeah, I forgot about trademark retention. Provided that I'm not mistaken in understanding that they last indefinitely (with certain exceptions, I believe), it's these sorts of things that make me wish that trademarks would eventually expire like copyright does. In my (admittedly unrealistic) ideal world, there'd be no need for them at all so that certain people and entities wouldn't have a monopoly over this or that particular term. Sadly, that's not how the business world operates in real life and it seems unlikely to anytime soon. Sure, we can still write and post Marvel/DC or Star Wars-themed fanworks--and hopefully continue to do so over the coming years--but not our own full-fledged takes on those universes that we can freely publish and profit from with no one else's permission. That's quite a shame, IMO; I was hoping that I'd live to see, or maybe even create a TV (or internet, holographic, whatever) series where Darth Vader gets sent back in time to the Clone Wars as occurs in my A Galaxy Divergent TL, for example. The idea of inserting him into the time period explored by one of my favorite shows would keep me hooked, to say the least--and unlike the 2003 or 2008 versions, there'd be no already-established guarantees as to what the future has in store. But I get ahead of myself, and drift in a rather tangential direction in the process. Basically, though, I'm not exactly pleased with trademark prospects as they stand right now.
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mullauna
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Post by mullauna on Jan 25, 2019 14:02:15 GMT
Tarzan is PD - but he's trademarked so PD is useless.
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kyng
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Post by kyng on Jan 26, 2019 17:48:33 GMT
Tarzan is PD - but he's trademarked so PD is useless. Well, it's not totally useless: people can (and do) reproduce copies of the specific works that have entered the public domain (for example, here are some public domain Tarzan audiobooks). They just can't write their own Tarzan story without permission from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc (who hold the trademark). However, trademarks (unlike copyrights) need to be renewed every 10 years - and there's also the risk of trademarks becoming genericized (although I don't think that's ever happened with a trademarked fictional character: maybe someone here can think of one?) |
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Zyobot
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Post by Zyobot on Feb 23, 2019 2:57:34 GMT
Tarzan is PD - but he's trademarked so PD is useless. Well, it's not totally useless: people can (and do) reproduce copies of the specific works that have entered the public domain (for example, here are some public domain Tarzan audiobooks). They just can't write their own Tarzan story without permission from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc (who hold the trademark). However, trademarks (unlike copyrights) need to be renewed every 10 years - and there's also the risk of trademarks becoming genericized (although I don't think that's ever happened with a trademarked fictional character: maybe someone here can think of one?) Huh, that's a good point you have about trademark genericization. I'm starting to wonder if--as the internet continues to change and inevitably ever swell in size and scope through the coming decades, maybe even the decentralized version of more techno-libertarian experts' dreams--it will become progressively harder to enforce IP laws, at least as they pertain to cyberspace. For example, web originals that unauthorizedly use trademarked terms and likenesses, in large part because digital creators probably don't know the ins and outs of those laws like the media companies of yesteryear, may slip through the cracks and become increasingly harder for said trademark owners to hunt down. Personally, I'd welcome a world in which Lucasfilm no longer has the sole ability to use the word "droid" or Paramount Pictures monopolizes the term "Starfleet"; that's the sort of legislation that strikes me as frivolous, petty and probably in some capacity instituted by IP lawyers out of a drive to make more money. And I hope that I live to see such a future come to pass, though laws evolving to suit technological change won't necessarily result in them easing up--and may in fact trend in the opposite direction (i.e. Article 13 in the EU today). But to avoid getting into a Politics and Current Affairs-oriented discussion about IP, I'll stop there. |
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