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.
The ethics of this measure can be debated. On one hand, it could be seen as promoting the access to and sharing of creative works and fostering innovation by allowing more works to enter the public domain. On the other hand, it could be argued that it undermines the rights of creators and could potentially harm industries that rely on copyright protections, such as the entertainment industry. Ultimately, the ethical implications of this measure would depend on one's perspective on copyright law and the balance between protecting intellectual property and promoting the sharing of creative works.
