Here's a little something I wrote in my notebook about my nonprofit organization idea:

PublicCopyright.org is a non-profit repostory of expired copyrights and a purchaser of of copyrights for redistribution at cost or free to the public.
For Profit companies may buy nonexclusive access to copyrighted material .
PublicCopyright.org's primary mission will be maintenance will be maintenance of a searchable database for public use for free at least at a low cost. In addition, PublicCopyright.org will provide copyright material in a physical form on request at cost, low price, or free. Private for-profit companies will be able to acquire non-exclusive access to copyrights for a fee.

My idea is to manage copyrights for the public good. Extension of the time that copyrights maybe held has the effect of keeping information out of the public domain. Extending copyrights benefits Hollywood and the record industry and a few private individuals but for the most part no one else. I am afraid that many lesser known works will slide into oblivion because the original copyright holders will die or slip into obscurity, depriving the public of work that would normally have been in the public domain. I intend to purchase older copyrights, solicit donation of copyrights, and provide cheap access to the public. The organization will allow any non-commercial use of the copyrights for free. Commerical use will require special agreements. Once a copyright is purchased, it will not be resold. The organization may retain the rights to the copyright until it lapses into the public domain. The organization may also charge fees to recoup the cost of purchasing the copyright and maintenance of the database.