Which is good thing because without those rights we couldn't have corporations. I know there is a loony left theory out there that we would better off without them but since the haters make those arguments over corporate created communications systems typing on their corporate created IPads I don't give them much weight.

But the questions is why should Disney ever lose the rights to their products as long as they are still using them? If my grandfather builds a car company and leaves it to me the car company is still mine and I still have exclusive to right the name and images of that company. No one is going to come to me and say "your family has made enough money it is time to let other people ride your grandfather's coattails" If my grandfather builds a movie studio or writes a world famous book why should someone else be able to take what my grandfather left me? It still has value and I am still using it. Why shouldn't the Wilder family be paid if you want make Little House on the Prairie movie?

I don't think any intellectual copy right should expire as long the right is still being exercised by those who hold it. Someone else shouldn't get to just start cashing in on other people's work.