In 2022, Senator Josh Hawley introduced a measure to strip Disney of all its copyright protections. This bill called the Copyright Clause Restoration Act would reinstate the limit on copyrighted material to 56 years. This new law would be retroactive. This means that any work that has been under copyright for over 56 years would become public domain immediately. Any number of computing innovations could become public domain in just a few years under this act.
Is this legal?
It is unclear whether such a measure would be legal as it would likely face significant legal challenges. Copyright protections are guaranteed by the Constitution in order to incentivize creativity and the production of new works. Stripping a company like Disney of all its copyright protections could be seen as a violation of their constitutional rights. Additionally, making the law retroactive could also raise legal concerns as it would potentially be taking away property rights that were previously granted.
It is also worth noting that copyright law is a complex and continually evolving field, so any changes to the current system would likely need to go through a thorough legal review and potentially face challenges in court.