Dead Musicians Signing Media Rights Petitions

epeus writes "Following from the Gowers coverage and the Musicians' ad in the FT, Larry Lessig admits he was wrong about term extension: 'If you read the list, you'll see that at least some of these artists are apparently dead (e.g. Lonnie Donegan, died 4th November 2002; Freddie Garrity, died 20th May 2006). I take it the ability of these dead authors to sign a petition asking for their copyright terms to be extended can only mean that even after death, term extension continues to inspire. I'm not yet sure how. But I guess I should be a good sport about it, and just confess I was wrong. For if artists can sign petitions after they've died, then why can't they produce new recordings fifty year ago?'"

Obligatory Simpsons Quote

[ctid]

Oh no! The dead have risen and they're voting for copyright extension

not just that...

[macadamia_harold]

I take it the ability of these dead authors to sign a petition asking for their copyright terms to be extended can only mean that even after death, term extension continues to inspire.

I don't see why Lessig is so surprised. Not only can the dead sign petitions, but they can vote, too. America has lead the way in the legal frontier of corpse-rights and suffrage, at least as far back as the 1800s.

I don't see what the big deal is here.

[Chas]

Of course, I'm from Chicago. The dead regularly climb out of the ground to vote up here...must be something in the water...

Re:Obligatory Simpsons Quote

[legoburner]

Thankfully many of us have spent dozens of hours practising zombie destruction in computer games like dead rising and are well-versed in their destruction. I'll go after zombie Elvis if someone else wants to get zombie Freddy Mercury.

makes me wonder..

[oedneil]

Makes me wonder how 2pac or Biggie would feel about this. I guess we'll find out on their next albums!

Reminds me of a Monty Python song

[jlowery]

... called "Decomposing Composers".

Although in this case I think they're recomposing composers.

2Pac doesn't need to do this

[Lewisham]

Instead of signing petitions, why don't they just release a couple new albums like 2Pac? It's totally paying for the henny and the hos in the afterlife.

Re:Obligatory Simpsons Quote

[Sqwubbsy]

I'll go after zombie Elvis if someone else wants to get zombie Freddy Mercury.

No way. I don't want that zombie AIDS shit getting on me...

Re:First post

[Eideewt]

With a UID that low, GP is likely dead.

Re:Obligatory Simpsons Quote

[marcello_dl]

Oh no! The dead have risen and they're voting for copyright extension

What's wrong with that? After all, they got many advantages from the copyright system. I'd call'em the grateful dead.
*ducks*

They just signed on the wrong line

[tjcrowder]

It wasn't their copyright term they were trying to extend...

Re:Obligatory Simpsons Quote

[SharpFang]

Then go after zombie Michael Jackson. He even claims to be still alive.

Boycott Cliff this Christmas

[Marcion]

Cliff Richard is the face of the multi-national companies who want to destroy fair use, remixing, amateur music and anything they cannot control. Therefore lets boycott Cliff this Christmas, refuse to listen to his crappy contrived whining. The last thing we want to do is to "incentivise" Cliff Richard to produce new songs.

He seems to have some speech impediment..

[The Creator]

His "rains" souds like "oys"..

Reg Shoe would be proud.

[SharpFang]

Go Dead!

I like Lebanon's hezbollah petitions better

[OeLeWaPpErKe]

Dead people do NOT sign these petitions ... but they do have a strong tendency to die AFTER it was asked of them

Re:Reg Shoe would be proud.

[GaryPatterson]

... and he'd be writing the petition, sending it out, chasing up other dead people and generally making a lot of beaurocratic noise.

Good call, SharpFang.

Re:Obligatory Simpsons Quote

[Hal_Porter]

I take it you're not familiar with the Sony Bono Reanimation Act.

Re:Obligatory Simpsons Quote

[Razed By TV]

No way. I don't want that zombie AIDS shit getting on me...

Hey man, you get bit and you're screwed anyway, whats it matter? Is there a lot of stigma in the zombie community about zombies with AIDs or something?

Re:Boycott Cliff this Christmas

[jb.hl.com]

Think Ned Flanders with a guitar.

Re:He seems to have some speech impediment..

[dgatwood]

Top ten signs that a joke is too clever:

10. Nobody gets it.
9. Nobody mods it.
8. Nobody notices it.
...
1. You wrote it.

:-)