Eldred v. Ashcroft Oral Arguments

PMuse and others wrote in about the oral arguments held today in the Eldred v. Ashcroft case challenging the most recent 20-year retroactive extension of copyright terms. Google News will cover the mainstream news stories about it; transcripts of the arguments will eventually be posted; but as I write this the only first-hand reports appear to be LawMeme and the Associated Press. Reader McSpew adds a link to a piece by Steven Levy explaining the importance of Eldred v. Ashcroft and what's really at stake. Update: 10/09 19:12 GMT by T : khkramer links to his own summary of the arguments, writing "I have press credentials at the court, so I was able to take notes during the argument, and in the summary I tried to cover all of the major issues that the Justices asked about."

Comments

If only the courts knew how to code

[_underSCORE]

"if a limited time is extended for a limited time then it remains a limited time,"

Yeah, guys, and this loop terminates:

int limitedTime = 14;

for ( int i=0;i<limitedTime;i++) {

System.out.println("Copyright Protected");

limitedTime += 50;

}

fools.

Re:If only the courts knew how to code

[iplayfast]

[quote]Yeah, guys, and this loop terminates:

int limitedTime = 14;
for ( int i=0;i<limitedTime;i++) {
System.out.println("Copyright Protected");
limitedTime += 50;
}
[/quote]

Actually that loop does terminate. The limitedTime variable is an int, which will wrap to a negative number.

Good thing you aren't in congress or you'd be making bad code into laws! :)

Re:If only the courts knew how to code

[Dirtside]

Yeah, but it won't wrap for two billion years, which is probably longer than a term of copyright really needs to be. :)

Re:Not looking forward to the outcome

[poopsie]

When the Supreme Court finds the wording of the Constitution too vague, they look at the intent of the Founding Fathers, of whom Thomas Jefforson was quite clear on the issue - that one generation shall not have control over the next.

Um...Isn't looking to Jefferson for the definitive answer in effect having one generation control the next?

Was Rehnquist asleep?

[ethereal]

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist seemed unsympathetic to those who want the law overturned.

"You want the right to copy people's works verbatim," he told Eldred's lawyer.

Why yes, sir, that's the whole point. That's what "public domain" means. Maybe if we can get past the knee-jerk incomprehension of "public domain", we can actually inject some sense into these proceedings. But probably not.

Frankly, I wonder if maybe he shouldn't have stuck with his other job as an impeachment court robes designer.