Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker
Something to consider, for the people who say "no author would write anything without a monopoly on it" -- or, nowadays, a monopoly for people who were born long after anyone who ever knew him was dead:
Copyright is a rather recent invention.
Books are not.
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Copying of books in electronic form and the possibility to spread those copies instantly to thousands or millions is available for less than 10 years -- and back then hardly anything was available to copy. Even in the age of the Xerox machine it wasn't really feasible to make "do-it-yourself" copies. Copier amortization, toners, paper, and time would have added up to more than the cost for actually buying the book. (not to mention the lousy quality you get with photocopying and no binding). So, if there ever was a time when copyright was needed, it is now.
Don't forget, in the "good old days", before there was copyright, artists were kept by kings and nobles, or received large grants for particular works. Most people couldn't read, anyway. And by the 19th century many writers used to publish their works in newspapers -- a chapter a week or so, to ensure they would get paid.