Is Copyright Killing Innovation?

Posted by Chad Criswell Sep 25, 2006

Did you know that one of the nicknames of the current United States Copyright Law is actually the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act?" The nickname stems from the efforts to extend copyright protection farther and farther into the future to protect the intellectual property rights of copyright holders far past their death. The Disney company was one of the most vocal proponents of the law, including the bills congressional sponsor, Sonny Bono, who would have personally preferred that copyright last forever.

On one hand, copyright is a good thing and should be maintained for a reasonable amount of time to protect the financial integrity of the copyright's holder, but today copyright extends 75 years past the date of the author's death. To some people this seems excessive, but think of it from Disney's perspective. A huge, multi-billion dollar empire built around a very recognizable cartoon character. If Mickey Mouse passed into the public domain anyone could use his likeness in any way they see fit from the most mundane to the most controversial. Consider the idea of a children's icon such as Mickey being used in an advertisement for an exterminator or even being used as a sick part of an adult oriented movie. It is for these reasons that copyright holders are so vocal about trying to preserve their rights to their intellectual property in perpetuity.

For more information about copyright, including some great links to find out about copyright dates and penalties visit my article on Music Arranging and Copyright.