[taosaur]

I'm not going to assume I know what would happen if copyright ceased, but there are certainly more possibilities than "Everything's free and nobody gets paid." It's simplistic to imagine that all profit in exploiting creative work would vanish with the loss of exclusivity. Money, like life and love, will find a way.

First broadcast or publication would still have value. Certified authenticity would still have value. Prestige formats would still have value. Brand recognition, promotion and distribution networks would still have value. All of these things would have even greater value in a world where not only many copies but also many versions of a work became available as soon as it hits the net. I could re-write Stephen King's next book to replace the protagonist with Chuck Norris and the antagonist with Pedobear, or vice versa. Meanwhile Bantam (or whoever) has Steve saying, "This is the one I wrote, right here. But Pedobear...that's some funny shit."

Artists, like machinists and mid-level managers, would be paid for producing their work, rather than seeing continuing income form work already produced. Celebrity authors would see additional income from the same sources as all celebrities: endorsements and appearances. Everyone at every level of creative industries would have to continually produce, add value, and innovate if they want to eat.