Why does a copyright have to run out during the artist (or the copyright owner’s) lifetime? Anybody is entitled to sing the song in the shower, but if you want to sell tickets to see somebody perform the song, the writer is entitled to a share of the income. Why should a performer get free content? The key is that the performance is a paid performance. Intellectual property rights have been taking a beating from older things like Napster, and now youtube and as always, free downloads.