Fair Use Worth More Than Copyright To Economy

Dotnaught writes "The Computer and Communications Industry Association — a trade group representing Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo, among others — has issued a report (PDF) that finds fair use exceptions add more than $4.5 trillion in revenue to the U.S. economy and add more value to the U.S. economy than copyright industries contribute. "Recent studies indicate that the value added to the U.S. economy by copyright industries amounts to $1.3 trillion.", said CCIA President and CEO Ed Black. The value added to the U.S. economy by the fair use amounts to $2.2 trillion."

Comments

Shakespeare IS in the public domain

[Garwulf]

"The value of Shakespeare alone to the US economy is in the gazillions. How many school plays & textbooks, theaters, community centers, and even Hollywood studios would disappear if Shakespeare's works went into the private domain with no fair use provision."

Shakespeare has been in the public domain for centuries. Really. Anybody can use or publish it however they want. Fair use has nothing to do with it.

Fair use ONLY applies with works currently in copyright. It does NOT apply to the public domain.

(Right - going to get an aspirin now. My head hurts...)