Who decides that they're "profiteering"? You!! There's nothing wrong with profiting from creating something new. If you don't like it, don't buy it. But arguing that it's OK to steal it because YOU think the creator (or the current copyright owner) is making too much money is ludicrous. BTW, design patents last up to 14 years and utility and plant patents up to 20 years. But unlike copyrighted material, there is a common good issue involving patents where law makers wanted to eventually allow potentially fundamental concepts to make its way into the public domain to facilitate ongoing innovation. No such argument for copyrights.
exactly - that's one of the points of contention - is it a sale of a copy of a work, or is it a license? sure the media companies lobby for the latter, but it's not as obvious to the consumer - what if barnes & noble tried to regulate where and when you could read a book you bought? that's exactly what they are doing with geographically-restricted media. as for expired copyrights - not that unlikely - think along the lines of the early disney movies and characters, some of which, iirc, would have already expired if not for the bono term extension act.
that is not the case - the Constitution is the basis for both copyrights and patents - the goal was to reward innovation by granting monopolies, but limited in duration due to their potential for harm and abuse. both are restricted by the "limited times" clause, for what little that seems to be worth to the modern Congress. From Article I, Sec. 8: To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;
SOMEONE decided forver is fair. Well then lets just make it an eternity and be done with it! Copyrites are FOREVER. Why not? Essentailly thats what we have here now.
Has the RIAA overstepped? Will their scorched earth policy end up creating a viable alternative distribution channel for independent music? Can groups become viable without the support of a record label?