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Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj
Quote:
Originally Posted by DMSmillie
Many, perhaps most, of the artistic works we value in the western world wouldn't exist if their originators had had to do all that. Historically, most artists of all kinds were only able to be artistically creative because either they were born into a family with sufficient money to free them from these day to day needs, or they were lucky enough to attract a rich patron whose money similarly freed them from the need to earn a living in some other way. Even as things are now, there's still a long "apprenticeship" with little money coming in for most who seriously try to be creative, whether that's writing, painting, composing, etc. You would make that "apprenticeship" a permanent state of affairs. How many do you think would persevere without at least the dream of being the next Jane Austen, or Asimov, or J K Rowling, with the possibility of being able to earn a decent living from their writing, and be free to write all of the time, instead of an hour here, an hour there, when other commitments allow?
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So you believe people write only to have the book written, and be famous and rich, instead of having pleasure of writing? Many times I have read on these forums that writers write because they like it, or feel they have to. Surely, if people looked at written stories as they look at free source code now, many of those who write just for fame wouldn't start, but many of those who like to play with words would. I don't see why you think the net result would be a loss. |
Some people only have the skills and knowledge to do a few simple plumbing jobs. Would you use that as an argument to deny those with the skills and knowledge to provide a professional plumbing service the right to earn a living from that work? That's essentially what you're arguing for, with regard to creative work.
And no, I didn't say, and don't believe, that people write only to "be famous and rich". I pointed out that it's difficult to be creative when you've just worked for 10 hours, then cooked dinner and cleaned the house, and have to get up early the next morning to do it all again. Providing those with the skill to create, protection for the fruits of their creative work, and thus helping to ensure that those whose work is valued sufficiently by "society" are paid for the creative work they create, will help to ensure a constant stream of new creative work. Remove that protection, and very very few would be able to earn a living from their creative work, which would result in fewer genuinely creative works being created. You'd end up with a load of fan fiction and derivative works from material already in existence, but the production of new, original works for others to play with and cannibalise would be severely diminished.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj
Quote:
Originally Posted by DMSmillie
What is the problem with her not wanting to publish the books in ebook format? The books are still out there for people to read and enjoy, the films are there for people to watch and enjoy. Nothing has been kept unavailable. She gets paid, we get to read her books. What isn't working there?
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She believes the ebooks are an abomination and shouldn't exist, and that books should only be enjoyed on paper. She has the creative control to do that - and also to prohibit the sale of Harry Potter in every conceivable form, should she wish to, for as long as she lives and 70 years after that (in most countries). I believe that's crazy, and people who do create ebooks of Harry Potter and trade them on the Internet, violating copyright, seem to agree, if only unconsciously. |
As I said before, the length of time copyright lasts is a totally separate and different issue to the question of whether or not copyright should exist in the first place.
I'd suggest that different people create and distribute pirate ebook copies of the Harry Potter books for many different reasons. For some of them, that's the belief that if they want something, they're entitled to have it, free, regardless of any other considerations.
I can only repeat what I said originally - "Nothing has been kept unavailable. She gets paid, we get to read her books. What isn't working there?"