Quote:
Originally Posted by howyoudoin
It's got to do with the nature of the product.
While an author might spend hours and months producing a book, his efforts come to an end when its published (discounting the publicity and book signings which are mere marketing).
A doctor or lawyer might spend hours and months learning their trade, but their efforts do not come to an end when they get licensed. They only make money if they show up to work everyday and apply the knowledge gained in a repeated manner for clients. The moment somebody comes up with a paradigm where, similar to the authors, the doctors and lawyers can make money despite not having to keep working every day, their clients and patients will automatically downgrade the 'value' of their services and expect a deep downgrade to the monetary compensation they receive too.
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by howyoudoin
That's my point exactly. Doctors and Lawyers don't get paid merely for effort sustained before licensing, they have to keep reproducing their knowledge and expertise and get paid for each such reproduction for each client or patient. The authors don't have to keep reproducing their efforts in order to continue to get paid.
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by howyoudoin
That isn't my point at all.
A doctor still has to put in effort for each patient he sees.
The author doesn't.
This isn't meant as a slight on the authors. It's just the nature of their work.
|
You are confusing *labor* with *property.* Work is labor. Books are intellectual property.
A doctor or lawyer can use some of his earnings to buy real property, hire a management company to run it, and if the property is in a good location, the doctor or lawyer will have a stream of income for himself and his heirs, without having to lift another finger.
A doctor or lawyer can use some of his earnings to buy stocks or bonds, and, if he chose wisely, likewise have a stream of income that is theoretically never ending.
An author invests his time and skill into writing a book, and if the book is sufficiently appreciated, he may have a stream of income that will last until the copyright expires.
Basically, if you do labor, you are paid for what you do. If you own income producing property, you are paid for permitting people to access the property.
There's nothing at all unusual about this state of affairs.