Comment Just extend it for 300 million years (Score 1) 214
If Congress wants to subvert the spirit of the Consitution in this regard, but stay within the letter of limited terms, all it has to do is extend the term of copyright for a really really long time. 300 million years after the death of the author seems like a nice, round, very large yet still finite number.
Seriously, the entire difficulty with the Supremes maintaining that as long as the term is finite it is not their problem is that there are ways to have finite yet effectively unlimited terms. Repeated small extension is one, and one-time obscenely large extension is another. If Congress is being auctioned off with respect to this kind of legislation, then the courts must eventually summon up the will to draw some line that makes the copyright extension power limited in reality, not just in its syntax.
Seriously, the entire difficulty with the Supremes maintaining that as long as the term is finite it is not their problem is that there are ways to have finite yet effectively unlimited terms. Repeated small extension is one, and one-time obscenely large extension is another. If Congress is being auctioned off with respect to this kind of legislation, then the courts must eventually summon up the will to draw some line that makes the copyright extension power limited in reality, not just in its syntax.
