Quote:
Originally Posted by Happ
A system is unfair if 1) authors are not paid, either directly or indirectly
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We need to be very careful here. Nothing in copyright guarantees that the authors will be paid. I'm pretty sure I know what you meant, but this is a slippery slope that we need to stay away from. There are such things as unsuccessful artists, and those who cannot sustain that career because they don't get paid. Such things are supposed to happen. Copyright is not a right to make a profit, nor does it say anything about getting paid. Copyright is also not a guarantee of absolute control over an artists works. Some people think it is (or want it to be), but we need to be careful about not crossing that line.
All copyright really says is that if somebody is going to distribute your work, they need your permission. That's about it. The parts about getting paid, making a living as an artist... that's your problem, not the government's. Coming up with a system that is based on author's getting paid is very different from what is in place today, and probably not something that anybody really wants if they think about it. Do we really want the government forcing the public to finance artists that the market is not otherwise interested in supporting?
As I said, I'm pretty sure that's not what you meant, but I felt it needed to be pointed out.