As a counter-example, there were some great sci fi novels written in the 80s and 90s which I'm only just discovering & I fully believe the author still deserves money for them.
How about 14 years from the date at which the author transfers the copyright to another party, or lifetime of the author if they don't transfer it?
That said, I totally agree that authors lifetime + 70 years is too long. Take off the extra 70 years & I think you've got a fairer figure.
There's no reason you can't pay the author after the copyright has expired. People have shown multiple times they're willing to pay more than they legally have to.
How about 14 years from the date at which the author transfers the copyright to another party, or lifetime of the author if they don't transfer it? That said, I totally agree that authors lifetime + 70 years is too long. Take off the extra 70 years & I think you've got a fairer figure.