Quote:
Originally Posted by HansTWN
Let us examine the benefits for society. Let us say an author dies and at the time of his death the book is still selling really well.
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2.)If the copyright continues after the author's death the book will generate real income for the author, jobs for the people who work at his publishers and at retailers selling the books. All those people will pay taxes on their incomes.
Which scenario is better for society?
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If the potential purchasers of the deceased author's work spend their money on his books then they will not have that income to spend on a new aspiring author, who as a result will starve to death in poverty in a garret, enduring what seems to be the usual fate of authors to die young leaving their children penniless and a charge upon the state, while society will not benefit from the expression of the new and unique ideas which died with him. Meanwhile the sales of the expired author will inevitably taper off as market saturation is reached, leaving the employees of the publishers and retailers unemployed and paying no taxes.
Which scenario is better for society?