Probably off topic, but it's going here anyway

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

Matthew has been stating this for a long time..content creators, artists, publishers need to grow and expand with the times, this is such an example:

Award Winning Manga to be Freely Used by Anyone for Anything Anytime, Author Will Not Request Royalties

This means that after 15 September anyone in the world will be free to novelize, televise, create merchandise, or in any way adapt the original work for either commercial or non-commercial purposes without having to pay royalties.  This is the latest move in the writer’s quest to find alternatives to the “outdated” model of intellectual property rights.


Earlier this year Sato had severed ties with the original publisher of the Say Hello to Black Jack series and put the works on his own web publishing site MangaonWeb.  Details are yet to be confirmed but Sato is saying that he will not relinquish his copyright, but that he will not enforce it for an indefinite time.

“The traditional model of making profit by holding onto a copyright is gradually going stale” he said.  “I want to explore the possible benefits to authors beyond this system.” Around the same time from 20 September to 2 October, Sato will put his work on display at the pixiv Zingaro in Tokyo.  A copy machine will be on hand for the exhibit for visitors to replicate whatever they want.

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2012/08/22/award-winning-manga-to-be-freely-used-by-anyone-for-anything-anytime-author-will-not-request-royalties/

[stinger]

I'd be careful here.

This strikes me as similar to what got this whole ELI thing going.  Who is to know what the folks at Picscout, Getty, et al were thinking when they distributed (or allowed distribution of) images in wallpapers, cds, even from their own web sites with little or no control.  In some cases, they acted like they were not enforcing copyrights.  In others, it seemed like the images were copyright free.

Then suddenly, they get smart and find a way to make more money, by enforcing their copyrights and, in some cases, covering their tracks on how they originally seeded the market with images.

So, if I put this guys images or content in my web published customer newsletter during the period when he chooses not to enforce the copyright, and I forget about it, what happens three years later when he changes his tune and wishes to enforce his copyright?  His bots may find his content on my web site after he had the "change of heart".  According to current copyright law, he would have a case against me.

I sure would like to understand this better.