Quote:
Originally Posted by GA Russell
I daresay that moral people believe that the author should be compensated. I believe that the current model of compensation doesn't work in the digital age. I believe that an alternative must be found. Artists did not always receive royalties. In the Middle Ages they were sponsored by princes, I think.
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Some self-published authors (and artists) use crowdfunding. M.C.A. Hogarth of
http://stardancer.org/ has one serial running that is financed by donations - for a certain amount of donations/tips received in total, an installment will be posted publicly for anyone to read.
I know a webcomic artist had a somewhat related model for a while - they'd have their normal schedule, but also a tip jar, and when a certain threshold of tips was passed, the next update would have an additional page.
There's also the collaborative project
http://www.tornworld.net/ - some content is available for free, some only for subscribers, and people can "sponsor" subscribers only content, meaning for a payment to the author the content will become available for non-subscribers, too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GA Russell
Even today, painters are paid once for the work, and if the value goes up after that, they don't get any of the price appreciation.
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There are laws in some places (afaik for example France and California) that require artists get a cut of value appreciation. (Note, comparing the unique original work of art with mass produced books and arbitrarily often copyable digital files seems to me like it would require a bit more detail.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeremyR
As far as I am concerned, it really comes down to this:
Did someone do something for you that you enjoyed? If so, you should reward that person.
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That would work as an argument FOR being able to read for free, too. "I want to know what I'm buying FIRST, and only pay if I'm enjoying it, not pay for something I thought I'd like according to the blurb, but turned out to be not to my tastes at all."
What put a stop to me picking up books in shops spontaneously was one case where I did so, and found the book so disgusting and offensive that I would feel bad giving it away for free...
That would need work to get it really culturally ingrained to "pay what it's worth" after getting something for free.