Egypt to Copyright Pyramids and Sphynx

empaler writes "We all know the usual pro-copyright arguments. Most of them hinge on the fact that the individual or company that has a copyright needs an incentive to make something that is copyrightable, and therefore ensure a revenue stream in a period after the copyright has been granted. In a never-surpassed move, Egypt is working on legislation to extend copyright well above 3000 years — they are going to start claiming royalties for using likenesses of the Sphynx and the Pyramids. It is still unclear whether the original intent of the Pyramids included 'making sure them bastards pay for a plastic copy in 3000 years' alongside 'securing a pathway to the heavens for the God King.' Speaking as a Greenlandic national, I want dibs on ice cubes." It sounds straight out of The Onion, but instead you can read another story on the BBC.

Comments

And they wonder why only 2 in 500 students...

[lord_mike]

...believe in IP? It's BS power grabs like this by IP power holders that make it hard to believe that intellectual property laws aren't arbitrary, capricious, and screw people over... How can someone believe that IP is good and right when companies (and governments, in this case) keep pulling this shite over and over again? Is it really any wonder that people feel no guilt when they have no rights or say in the stuff they actually PAID MONEY to use? No other industry would ever get away with the BS that the IP industry demands... Yet, the industry always feel "wronged" by society... Whatever...

Thanks,

Mike

Sudden outbreak of common sense?

[Tavor]

Perhaps this will be the one thing that finally gets through to people showing how absurd copyright extension is. I mean, look at Disney! He nicked half of it from public domain -- it should return to public domain. He'll still have his theme parks, his ice cream bars!