Copywrite expiring in 20 years doesn't mean access is democratized. Publishers would likely keep the price the same, but instead is the author getting a cut, they just take everything.
Besides. The public isn't owed the fruits of my labor for free.
I honestly suspect fairly little would change. The US operates with a 20 year copyright for nearly 200 years, these long copyrights are actually far newer.
Also, you are not owed a monopoly on arrangement of words enforced by the public. There are plenty of other places to spend tax dollars.
Who do you think pays for prosecutors, lawyers, jails, and investigators going after pirating sites? DMCA claims are worth less than the paper they're printed on if not for the threat of all that.
Copywrite expiring in 20 years doesn't mean access is democratized. Publishers would likely keep the price the same, but instead is the author getting a cut, they just take everything.
Besides. The public isn't owed the fruits of my labor for free.