I like this solution, especially 4a, since I'm a big fan of the Heinlein idea of taxes that represent an estimate of the expected value, with the market providing an enforcement mechanism. I think the multiplier needs to be larger, though, to make it possible to defend inconsequential copyrights. On the other hand, the first 10 years being free is probably enough that small-time content creators can't just be put out of business by Disney. Involuntary sale of the copyright is also problematic because voluntary sales often include things like artifacts of the creation of the work, and merchandising agreements have to be negotiated and transferred as well -- compelling companies to forfeit the work would be complicated by these factors.
We have to be careful, though, not to let the idea of a clever solution get in the way of defining the problem. What, fundamentally, is the societal benefit of expiring the copyright?
In my opinion, the main condition that a copyright holder has to satisfy is to make the work available at a reasonable price. Increasingly this is the problem, that copyright holders both make a work unavailable and continue to hold the copyright, preventing the access to the material in any form. I feel that this is the tradeoff that society makes in exchange for allowing the monopoly. Once the holder can no longer (or will no longer, or does no longer) distribute the material, then it should revert to the public domain, as the public interest is no longer served by that copyright.
The solution above lets holders keep copyright as long as they're making money off of it, but offers no societal benefit other than the money paid into the copyright renewal fund.
We have to be careful, though, not to let the idea of a clever solution get in the way of defining the problem. What, fundamentally, is the societal benefit of expiring the copyright?
In my opinion, the main condition that a copyright holder has to satisfy is to make the work available at a reasonable price. Increasingly this is the problem, that copyright holders both make a work unavailable and continue to hold the copyright, preventing the access to the material in any form. I feel that this is the tradeoff that society makes in exchange for allowing the monopoly. Once the holder can no longer (or will no longer, or does no longer) distribute the material, then it should revert to the public domain, as the public interest is no longer served by that copyright.
The solution above lets holders keep copyright as long as they're making money off of it, but offers no societal benefit other than the money paid into the copyright renewal fund.