Copyright Reform: A Proposal

My proposal for copyright reform:  5 years, 5 million copies, or 30 years, which ever comes second.

You have rights to your work for at least 5 years, no matter how many of your work you sell. Suppose you sell 7 million, or 70 million, in 5 years. Then at 5 years, that's the end of it.  Your work enters the public domain.

Suppose you only sell 3 million by the end of 5 years.  Your rights are extended until you sell another 2 million.  Unless that takes more than 30 years.

Suppose your work is something off beat, or scholarly, and is never going to sell 5 million copies.  Then you have the rights for 30 years. 

Good for books.  For movies?  If a movie hasn't made its money back in 5 years, it isn't going to. 



Comments?  Problems?

(Cross posted to:  http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2012/12/gop-fires-author-of-copyright-reform-paper.html#comments)