Cedar, the question is, did you do this as work-for-hire or for yourself? Yes, people like the innovators at Apple are still making money from the 70s and a lot of other people are too. Photos taken in the 70s still routinely make money for the sole holder of the copyright, the photographer.
And if you reduce copyright to a small window of opportunity you will rape art. What will be left is what you have with epub: ego-driven nobodies who will do anything, even for free, in order to have 15 seconds of fame and no money. Meanwhile, professionals, with no way to earn income, will give way to endless copies of American Idol and a nearly mindless stereotype factory.
This is already happening: Getty images, once a great place to find great photos, has given way to a business model where they take advantage of the enthusiasm of people on Flickr who in no way rely on photography to earn a living and never will, given the fact that they have gutted the ability to earn a living.
Go to Getty and type Machu Picchu in the search box. On page 2 near the bottom is a woman with her back to the camera. I’d never have taken that photo – if I did, I would’ve deleted it – if I wouldn’t have done that, I certainly would not have submitted it and if I did, it would never have been accepted years ago. You can’t even tell the women is at Machu Picchu.
Multiply that by a million times and see how artistry has been gutted and dumbed down to a place that would’ve gotten an editor or photographer fired 15 years ago.
