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Mexico to Abolish the Public Domain?

Posted by chrisd on from the formerly-free-country dept.

Anonymous Mexican Coward writes "The mexican congress is considering a revision of the copyright law. Among other changes the law will extend the term of copyright from life-plus-70 to life-plus-100, and at the end of that term, the mexican government has the right to charge royalties for works in the "public domain." Go Mexico! Check it out"

3 of 375 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Situational Irony by sebmol · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just because something becomes part of the public domain doesn't mean the prior owner has to release it to the public. Microsoft may very well hang onto the source code. However, if at that time somebody were to acquire a copy of that code or reverse-engineer it from the MS-DOS binaries, Microsoft couldn't sue them for copyright infringement.

    --
    "Light is faster than sound." - "Is that why people tend to look bright until you hear them speak?"
  2. Write by first+axiom · · Score: 4, Informative

    Mexicans:

    Write your Deputies (by party, unfortunately) and your Senators (by state).

  3. Bullshit by The+Bungi · · Score: 4, Informative
    The bill motivated by the request of the former party in power.

    This will never become law. The prior "administration", whose party (the PRI) ruled the country for 80+ years is simply doing what they do best - make empty populist gestures and try to push crap through congress to see what happens.

    And the current administration is unabashedly pro-business (and unfortunately pro-church as well) and since the system is similar to the US, I doubt the prez will sign it. He'll just veto it because along with his party (the PAN) he's in bed with everyone from EMI to Coca-Cola.

    And the company doing this? I know them - my brother used to work here. They're used by the various families who own newspapers in Mexico to hassle each other with stupid copyright claims all the time. Of course "OLIVARES & CIA." obliges gleefully since they take a cut. Ambulance chasers of the 21st century.