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As to what Rex said about publishers getting a hammerlock on copyrights,
well, the U.S. didn't have to sign the Berne convention, but if we didn't
there would have been little protection for U.S. others.  I will agree
that it does look like "public domain" is a dead issue, ain't gonna
happen.  I don't think it's "right" either, but, what can you do?
You going to talk the governments of all the signatories to go to
the older U.S. concept of limited copyright duration, can be renewed
once?

Douglas