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Re:Disney acquires own streaming facilities, will pull Netfl... by SN76477 on Tuesday August 08, 2017 @10:57PM (#14965150)
Why cant I watch old TV shows? 3's company? Facts of Life? The Peoples Court? It doesnt make much sense to me.
Re:Disney acquires own streaming facilities, will pull Netfl... by Mindwipe on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @05:04AM (#14966765)
Because there aren't enough people like you who would to pay for it to cover the costs of even a lawyer reviewing the contracts to see who owns the rights (and the answer will be not a single party, actors/music/artwork etc rights involved in all will be incredibly complex), never mind actually pay anyone involved.

There are lots of things I would like someone to make at a reasonable price too (roll on my line of all existing Transformers with chrome finishes, car paint, clear windows and chrome tire rims!). But I have to accept that there's not enough of me that the costs of that sort of thing come down to $10, and buy a limited subset of more expensive items instead.

Re:Disney acquires own streaming facilities, will pull Netfl... by lostcolony on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @10:03AM (#14968902)
If that's the case that stuff needs to enter the public domain.

We need better legislation around orphaned works; those whose ownership is too complex to resolve should be treated the same as those whose ownership is completely lost. In both cases, ownership can't be reasonably determined.

Re:Disney acquires own streaming facilities, will pull Netfl... by mattm on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @03:27PM (#14972712)
Yes, this is the real issue. If copyright was reasonable - say 40-50 years - then a lot of this stuff would naturally enter the public domain and then could be shown on any streaming service.

Instead we have the current copyright system because a minuscule amount of old content is still profitable and large companies lobby to protect it.

Re:Disney acquires own streaming facilities, will pull Netfl... by pasquinelli on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @02:29AM (#14966052)
offtopic, but i get a tv station that broadcasts, afaict, nothing but Roseanne, Night Court, and Empty Nest. Roseanne was just as good as I remember... until it wasn't.