Quote:
Originally Posted by Kumabjorn
The difference, to me, is that the inheritors you mention have to keep up the labor of their predecessors if they want to reap that fruit. The inheritors of authors and musicians don't have to lift a finger. Our societies are built on the premise that we produce, some produce more than others, but still, to have a functional society we are expected to produce. Some of us are physically or mentally not capable, we do our best to take care of those, some societies do more some do less.
So from societies vantage point it seems strange that we would grant some people that are fully capable of being productive members of society a life in perpetual unproductivitiness.
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Actually these days if someone were to take over my books/copyright, there would be work involved and that is going to be more true in the future. Someone has to maintain the accounts, handle any reformatting for new devices, upload them and so on. The covers that may fit today's style will likely have to be reworked and reissued. If someone wants to make any money off my works they are going to have to be out there selling and promoting and that job is not unlike a 9 to 5 selling cars. No one is doing it for me and no one would be doing it for my heirs.
If contract terms change (and they will; they've changed 3 times just with Amazon in the last 5 years) with Amazon, Kobo, Apple and others, someone will have to make decisions about where to sell the books and how to sell them.
POD abilities are changing all the time. I've had to re-upload new files (just recently) in order to be able to better price them. That technology is going to get better and faster and to make money, it has to be watched, followed and acted upon. There will be better, more competitive options.
So I don't think you have to sit and worry that anyone isn't working. If they don't work, they won't make money off my works. The vast majority of authors will be in my shoes--there are only a small number of Pattersons and Rowlings out there.
If I was heir to land, I'd still have to work it. Just like books, it would sit there unused otherwise, so I'd either have to rent it or sell it.
I think I'll bow out of the conversation now as it is depressing for me to see how few people value writers' work and believe the monies shouldn't support the writer (or for very long). Because of my love of reading, I honestly thought people understood how much work, effort and sacrifice went into a book or at least respected that effort (whether it is good or not, makes money or not.)
I'm surprised to see how many think that PD is more important and that it somehow applies to books when it doesn't apply to land or other talents.
I get that PD is important. I understand that very well, but there's definitely a lack of support for the writer being able to make a living in some of these posts, a lack of caring about the writer and pointing to a faceless "greater good."
I have enjoyed the discussion, but I'm off to immerse myself in other things. It's always good to see different POV and to better understand human nature.