I'd love to hear the MPAA's explanation.
IMO, their entire business model is built on hypocrisy. Many studios made countless millions by bringing "timeless classics" to the big screen.
Where did they get these classics?
From stories that other people wrote. Stories that families have enjoyed for generations before motion pictures. Stories the studios got - absolutely free.
But suddenly, when these stories became movies, they magically become the sole property of a studio. They are locked in a volt and no one must do anything with it unless they pay a studio tax - oops I mean royalty.
What an amazing business!