It’s always been curios to me that the author or inventor or artist doesn’t own the rights to their work for all time. Why do these things expire?
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There are two ways to view copyright. One, it is an economical protection. Two, it protects the integrity of the art on a personal level. Common law countries (Canada, USA, UK) tend to favour the former, while civil law (France, Germany) tend to favour the latter.
In common law countries, copyright exists to give the creator economic benefits, but at the same time not stifle the free market of ideas. Copyright exists to initially protect creators. It incentivizes them to create things and make profit. With no protection, creativity flounders and nobody benefits. Copyright then expires to protect the market of ideas. It allows the author to profit, but once the author is dead and gone, it allows everyone else to profit. In both cases, profits are maximized.
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