Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
That may have been the intent 200 years ago when authors were "gentlemen" who didn't have to work for a living. Clearly, times have changed, and today virtually all authors write to make money, and income from their books is their only "asset". To say that those assets cannot be handed on to their dependents seems WRONG to me.
|
when exactly was writing reserved for wealthy gentlemen who had no need to work ?? there have always been plenty of poor authors, just like there have always been plenty of starving artists. it's never been a good professional choice if your end goal is to get rich. copyright really can't change that, and wasn't meant to, and shouldn't try.
and yes, the authors should be free to pass on
*whatever money they earned while alive* to their spouses or children or local dog shelter. but copyright should not outlast them by 70 years. that's not the same at all.