A Copyright Nightmare

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Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday January 17, 2012 @09:15AM from the what's-75-years-between-friends dept.

New submitter forkfail writes "If further proof were needed that copyright law was out of control in the U.S., it can be found in the fact that it costs 10 dollars to view Martin Luther King's famous Dream Speech. You might think you could find it on YouTube or other public venues, given its importance in American history. But no — the rights are firmly locked away until 2038."

9 of 411 comments (clear)

"I have a dream ......" by unity100 · 2012-01-17 09:21 · Score: 4, Funny

".......... in which, after my death my family do not prey on my legacy like bloodthirsty maniacs to make money ........"
apparently, that one just remained a dream ...

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1. Re:"I have a dream ......" by pla · 2012-01-17 09:55 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  apparently, that one just remained a dream ...
  
  Don't worry, they had the speech digitally remastered to replace that line with something about a walkie-talkie.
2. Re:"I have a dream ......" by gmhowell · 2012-01-17 11:22 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  apparently, that one just remained a dream ...
  Don't worry, they had the speech digitally remastered to replace that line with something about a walkie-talkie.
  Malcolm X shot first.
  
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  Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
2038? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-17 09:25 · Score: 5, Funny

I have a dream that code compiled in a 32-bit systems will one day live in an operating system where a copyright will not expire by the overflowing of its bits, but by the content of a 64-bit wrapper around any functions involving time_t.
Re:Part of a money conflict within the King family by KingSkippus · 2012-01-17 09:34 · Score: 5, Funny

I'm worried. I want to get copies of the Gettysburg Address and ,
Dear MightyMartian, due to your unapproved use of Mr. Shakespeare's title without financial remuneration, we have helpfully removed the title per Mr. Shakespeare's estate's request for you. As the Lincoln estate is not paying us an appropriate pound of flesh, we will allow the phrase "Gettysburg Address" to remain in your post without alteration.
Sincerely,
IP Overlords
Re: The workaround is simple. by PapayaSF · 2012-01-17 09:34 · Score: 4, Funny

Create a parody under fair use, with the original audio track, and Martin Luther King flying though space emitting a rainbow.
Nyan King!

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Q: What does the "B." in Benoit B. Mandelbrot stand for? A: Benoit B. Mandelbrot
Re:Part of a money conflict within the King family by bane2571 · 2012-01-17 09:48 · Score: 2, Funny

Mod parent insightul :)
Re:The point of copyright is to expand public doma by unity100 · 2012-01-17 09:55 · Score: 4, Funny

1 million years is also a 'limited' time.

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Re:Part of a money conflict within the King family by interkin3tic · 2012-01-17 12:37 · Score: 5, Funny

I'll mod it how I damn well please.
Which is "not at all" now that you've posted.