Finally, an actual case of music piracy/theft.

Hard to feel much sympathy for Sony. Feels like two different kinds of vultures both picking at the carcass.

I always thought that when the author/artist dies, copyright should terminate. There is obviously no longer incentive to produce and what happens after is always so undignified.

What about co-writers, other musicians, producers and so on that create the work who live on after one of their cohort dies?

I've always felt that ten years was suitable for copyright fee recovery and then let it be in the public domain.

Limitation of terms to a sane time-frame is important as well but it seems like a different fight.

I just think its a shame that Jackson is going to get Mickey Moused for an entire human lifespan before having a chance at public domain. Buy it now before it goes back in the Neverland vault for good! (We mean it this time...)

"before it goes back in the Neverland vault for good!"

I sincerely wish that was an option I could choose!!

The copyright should always have a minumum term regardless of whether the artist is alive or not because the publishers need some guarantee for their investment. It would probably also create an incentive for rival publishers to supply drugs and boos to artists until they accidentally overdose.

Copied, not stolen.

This argument might hold up weight in some people's eyes when you're pirating commercially available music.

This wasn't in public circulation; I find it much harder to validate the view that this wasn't a theft.

That doesn't compute in the eyes of the "law".

in "the eyes of the law" the charge would not be theft either

Is that because they do not have any tiny computers in their eyes or anything?

ha-ha

or, for full effect;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq5ZSBa_PFk