The experience of learning.

The old adage of that you learn something new everyday applied to my copyright lesson. Although, I was taught to respect the works of others and to give them credit if you incorporate them in your work, I also learned that the works copyrights apply to was more extensive than I had been exposed, particularly with the rules of time of the protection. For my PowerPoint presentation, I modified my content to include art from Jean-Michel Basquiat. He was an abstract artist that took graffiti from a public nuisance to a celebrated art form that was praised by the likes of Andy Warhol, which made me wonder about the protection of works that are not formally registered with the Library of Congress. Graffiti artists "tag" their work so others in the genre know who created the work as an informal tool of recognition. Should their work be considered protected? On the other hand, some artists work in obscurity and are not known of until their deaths. In these scenarios, how is the work protected? If I found an original manuscript of poetry that was written by my grandfather, then what rights should be afforded to his works and estate if published? In these types of cases, it is best to hire legal counsel that specializes in copyright protections. I do wonder what would the world of copyrights look like without the capitalistic component. Would intellectual works or property be simply entered into the knowledge domain of mankind? The copyright system has evolved to provide generational wealth for the heirs of the creator of the original work, especially with the rule change of 14 year renewals to the 70 year standard after the death of the creator.