Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew H.
No, we didn't.
Writers were either independently wealthy or had patrons who gave them sinecures. No one was able to make a living as a writer until the copyright act was passed.
John Milton (who lived before the copyright act) made 5 pounds from the first edition of "Paradise Lost."
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Interestingly Milton was in favor of abolishing copyright, from my reading of aeropagitica. Where does this 5 pounds figure come from? Would that have been enough to feed Milton for a few months? How long did it take him to write Paradise lost?
Maybe we don't need professional writers then? Copyright is an experiment, it is time to evaluate the data, and change course if needed.