How about back down to what they were originally in this country: 14 years with an optional 14 year extension that you had to specifically file for.

If I were able to reshape copyright law myself, I'd do three things:

1) All new works are copyrighted for 14 years plus a one-time 14 year extension that you must file for.

2) All non-commercial infringing (i.e. no profit motive - and, no, ads don't count) would carry a penalty of $100 times the market value of the work. For example, get caught distributing 500 MP3s? Your fine would be around $50,000 (500 * $1). Still high, but not "bankrupt you for life" high.

3) All existing copyrights would phase out gradually. (This would be a concession to businesses.) Starting with the oldest material, five years' worth of material would enter the public domain every year until all material was under the new copyright length. This should give companies plenty of time to plan for the public domain.

Just because copyright needs radical change doesn't mean that ANY change is good. In particular, were this rumor true, requiring a for-profit entity to exist to register copyright to would mean that all casual creators (that includes anyone who posts a photo online), hobbyists (including people who contribute code to not-for-profit open source projects), and non-profit entities would be at the mercy of for-profit companies. Especially big for-profit companies who could take the "orphaned" material, use it themselves, not give any compensation or credit, and sue anyone who tried to thwart their efforts.

I want to see copyright changed as much as the next guy, but this wouldn't have been a welcome change.

No, it wouldn't be. Requiring a "for profit entity" to register copyright would mean that any home/hobbyist/non-profit who created work might as well hand it over to giant ad companies to use without compensation or possibly even credit. In short, it would be handing even more power to corporations.

Thankfully, this isn't really happening.

It's almost like you can't get your information from random strangers based totally on your friends/family saying "Hey did you hear about this" anymore.

Next, you're going to tell me that Bill Gates really doesn't enter me in the International Lottery every time I forward cat videos to Nigerian Princes. (Hey, those guys keep dying. If anyone needs mindless entertainment, it's them!)

True, but if your hands are in plain sight and not on the wheel (e.g. folded behind your head as you relax), you're likely to be pulled over. I can see self-driving car users being pulled over initially for not paying attention to the road when their car was doing the driving. Not that I blame the officers (or envy the judgement call they'll need to make). The introduction of self-driving cars will mean police officers will need additional training to tell when to pull someone over for not paying attention (non-self-driving car owner) and when not to (self-driving car owner with self-driving activated).

My guess is that self-driving car systems will be introduced gradually. You'll have "highway mode" self-driving cars where the self-driving system would be an enhanced cruise control. You go on the highway, hit the "self drive" button, and then sit back and relax until your exit nears. The next step would be to take over some stop-and-go city driving (likely used in good weather just like you wouldn't hit "cruise control" now if it was snowing out). Finally, computers would control all car movements after you input your destination and there will be no need for you to take control.

This will let manufactuers perfect their self-driving car systems and get the public* used to seeing people sitting back with their hands off the wheels.

* Public and police officers. Imagine if a highway officer saw a car go by today without a person's hands on the wheels. Even if the car was going the speed limit, it would likely be pulled over until the officer knew that this car was self-driving.

will have to mimic the act of driving, to avoid confusing other drivers

Got it.

*starts self-driving car*
*begins texting friends using both hands while not even looking at the road*

(Yes, I saw someone driving like this once. No, I don't know how they steered their car if no hands were on the wheel. I got away from them as quickly as I could.)

This assumes people ever approach the ability to retire again.

Gone are the days of retiring with a pension to someplace warm, never to work again.

Welcome to the days of concentration of wealth and the need for perpetual employment, but combined with the "joys" of outsourcing, offshoring, reduction of pensions and uncertain future employment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyV_UG60dD4

How about the bees dying off? There was a recent study that showed that while the climate amenable to bees is moving north, the bees aren't. So the bees in southern regions are dying off (too hot) and the entire population of bees is suffering. If the bees die off, many plants (including crops) will suffer.

Didn't they have record breaking heat waves during their summer while those of us in the Northeastern US were buried in snow? I seem to recall people in the US declaring "It's cold here right now so Global Warming can't be real" only to have some Australians reply about their record breaking heat waves.

At times, I want to get a diagnosis not so much for myself but for others. My parents, for example, reacted to my "I have autism" declaration as if I insulted their parenting skills. I know that this comes out of ignorance and that a diagnosis won't stop this. My father still tries to claim that my diagnosed son will "grow out of it" or that an accomplishment of his is "proof he doesn't have autism." Still, it would be nice sometimes to say definitively "Yes, I have autism as diagnosed by this medical doctor."

As someone who is kosher/vegetarian, this would ruin the dish for me. Don't worry, though, I'll just have them serve my bacon on a different plate and pass it to you. Sometimes there are benefits to dining with people who don't eat bacon!

First of all, thanks for all your work for people on the spectrum.

I'm the parent of a child on the autism spectrum (High Functioning/Asperger's). When we got our son's diagnosis and I was reading up on Autism, I began to realize that these books were describing me also. Suddenly, all the things in my life that seems to set me apart from everyone else made sense. Now, I identify myself as undiagnosed Asperger's. I've considered getting a diagnosis but held back for various reasons (financial constraints, thinking my diagnosis wouldn't help my son, thinking that my diagnosis wouldn't help me). Sometimes, though, it feel like not getting the diagnosis sets me apart and casts doubt on whether I really have autism or not.

Would you recommend that adults who think they are on the spectrum get a diagnosis? If so, do you have any recommendations for how to proceed with this?

I know, technically speaking, we're not supposed to answer the questions raised, but as a parent of a child on the Autism spectrum as well as someone who considers himself undiagnosed as well, I think I have some personal experience to share.

Don't worry if you don't match all the stories of autism. Every person with autism is different. My son has sensitivities to some noises (running the vacuum in my house leads to him screaming if he hasn't been properly prepared - and even if he has been), but I don't. I tend to be withdrawn socially and riddled with doubt about how to proceed. My son just leaps into social situations and doesn't seem to care if people think he's odd. (Granted, this could just be his lack of awareness of the situation - something that can be good or bad.)

I'll doubt myself also at times. Sometimes I'll think that maybe I'm not on the spectrum because I've had a good run. Then, something happens and I find myself barely holding myself together and nearly unable to cope with it.