Susan Aker An abandoned intellectual property law would force these lax copyright holders to take responsibility for the work.
Most states have laws governing what is to be done with property that has been abandoned.
In one state the amount of time before something is considered abandoned ranges from a mere 2 years up to 15 years. The laws vary between states, but the principle is there. Property that is not claimed after a reasonable amount of time ceases to belong to the owner. Think of how this might apply to intellectual property. Any work that has been out of print for more than 15 years probably isn't going to earn its owner anything more anyway.