"Melancholy Elephants" is a 1982 science fiction short story by Canadian writer Spider Robinson.
The story examines the interaction of copyright and longevity, and the possible effects of the extension of copyright to perpetuity.
Its title is a reference to claims that elephants "never forget".
A woman desperately tries to convince a powerful senator to oppose perpetual copyright—because the fate of humanity is at stake.
"Melancholy Elephants" won the 1983 Hugo Award for Best Short Story.