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A comment on All sound recordings prior to 1923 will enter the US public domain in 2022. Parent comment

Re:All sound recordings prior to 1923 will enter the US publ... by jcranmer on Tuesday December 07, 2021 @10:47AM (#29473714)
One of the rights that copyright protects is the right to make derivative works--such as sequels and film adaptations. If you consider that someone like Terry Pratchett can productively write a literary universe for decades, it feels to me like the best answer is around 30-50 years.
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Re:All sound recordings prior to 1923 will enter the US publ... by bryanlarsen on Tuesday December 07, 2021 @11:04AM (#29474032)
Isn't that trademark?

IOW, when Steamboat Willie's copyright expires, it doesn't give you the right to make a new Mickey Mouse film. Disney still has a trademark on Mickey.

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Re:All sound recordings prior to 1923 will enter the US publ... by jcranmer on Tuesday December 07, 2021 @11:13AM (#29474193)
No, trademark is entirely different IP. Copyright very explicitly protects the right to make derivative works.

(See 17 USC §106 (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/106) for the full list of what copyright actually protects.)

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Re:All sound recordings prior to 1923 will enter the US publ... by bryanlarsen on Tuesday December 07, 2021 @12:02PM (#29475069)
But if your copyright has expired, you can still prevent derivative works via trademark. Disney has trademarked Mickey Mouse.
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