The really disgusting thing is that the U.S. then turns around and tries to force it&#x27;s insane copyright laws on other countries under the guise of trade agreements like TPP.  It seems inevitable that, eventually, the birth of Mikey Mouse will divide what is public domain from what is not around the entire globe for all time.<p>Of course, the U.S. could instead do something sensible like create a &quot;Mickey Mouse law&quot;.  e.g. For ongoing fees of a fairly large size, companies can retain a copyright indefinitely.  Set the fees to a little less than the amount Disney spends on lobbyists and graft and everybody wins.  Disney keeps the rights to Mickey and saves money.  Things not named Mickey Mouse start entering the public domain again.