Was about to ask the same question (though didn't know when he died).
Ok then, I'll get back to these when we finally have been able to convince the government that the current copyright length is obscene or when they have entered public commons - whichever is earlier (don't make me bring the mood down by suggesting which one I think will come first).
But I still won't care that it is under copyright, I will simply feel aggrieved that the law is, again, an ass.
As for why arxiv.org does it, perhaps they are taking a stand. Sometimes the only way to overturn an unjust law is to violate it and the laws that support it. Compare the mass trespass on Kinder Scout organised by the British Workers' Sports Federation [1] and of course the suffragettes [2].
I'm not personally brave enough to take such direct action but I applaud those who do.
