[pp.int.general] copyright vs. "droit d'auteur"

[Richard M Stallman]

    I predict that a sizable chunk of the computing industry - much of  
    which releases proprietary software in the course of its operations -  
    would be severely affected by such a regulation, and would be  
    encouraged to move their operations to a country more favorable to  
    proprietary software development and to stop publishing software in  
    specific countries because of the legal liabilities.

Why do you think that it makes a difference what country their
operations are in?  That suggests we are talking about very different
conceptions.  The legal change I am thinking of would apply to
_copies_ in the country that adopts the change.  Where the company is
located would have no effect.

So I think this argument is based on a misunderstanding.

It is also possible to correct this problem by making copyright last
longer on free software.  Either solution will work; but the program
needs to have _some_ solution in order for the free software movement
to support it.