Copyright laws spring from the 4th amendment to the constitution. They expand on what was said in the 4th amendment and deal with the specifics.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

To be secure in our PAPERS was a very important issue to the founders. I see this when I read about the founding fathers. Revere, Adams, Hamilton, Washington, Madison, etc... The founders were men who wrote a lot of letters and books. As songwriters, we also write and create intellectual property.

The founders are stating in this 4th amendment that our papers are worthy of protection. And with intellectual property, we are accorded the same rights to not have it taken forceably or stolen from us by others or the government. Just as we can purchase a piece of property (real estate) and develop it, and then pass it down to our children and to their children, our intellectual property, in the eyes of the founders should have the same protections and property rights as our houses and lands.

As one who owns many copyrighted songs, currently under contract in libraries and with publishers, I stand on the side of supporting the rights of copyright owners for the full term codified in our current laws. That way, should a song I write become a classic, my heirs will benefit long after my passing by the royalties that the use of the song would continue to produce. Should congress decide to amend that term length, I would hope that they would look at it from the copyright writer/owner's point of view and proceed carefully to maintain those rights.

Last edited by Guitarhacker; 06/11/14 07:36 AM.
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