One of the big issues with copyright is that it stifles innovation. I was reminded of this again yesterday, when I saw a play, The Mystery of Irma Vep link here. It was written by Charles Ludlam who, the program notes observe, "Upon realizing that his teachers, and the commercial theater, wanted him to subscribe to the Stanislavskian method of behaving in a 'civilized manner in a room, not to do anything extraordinary,' Ludlam and a group of like-minded artists founded The Ridiculous Theatrical Company.... He quickly became famous for gleefully ransacking other genres and works.... Everything was fair game,... drawing on great works of literature as well as movies, plays, television ads, songs, comic books, or 'something shouted in the street' for all twenty-nine of his plays." Irma is a marvel of casting and direction, with two men playing all seven parts, including those of three women. Imagine the rapid fire costume changes, since both actors had to be onstage together most of the time.

The audience laughed their heads off. What a loss if copyright had interfered.