paying artists

[Alex Hudson]

On Fri, 2008-02-15 at 08:20 +1100, Ben Finney wrote:
> Alex Hudson <home at alexhudson.com> writes:
> > The end goal is to redistribute money, roughly from the consumer to the
> > artist.
> 
> That's *not* the goal of copyright.
> 
> The goal of (USA) copyright is to promote "the Progress of Science and
> useful Arts". 

Possibly it escaped your attention, but I'm not American, and neither is
this list.

If you want a modern analysis of the balance between progress of the
arts and the stimulation of producers, the UK's Gowers review is useful.
In continental Europe, things are different again, since there is a much
stronger adherence to moral rights, which have little to do with the
economics.

> Again, I hold that everyone has the right to attempt to earn a living.
> If society does not value their specific activities enough to pay them
> a living income, though, then they fail; and that is not a violation
> of their rights.

Sure, and I would sign up to that.

Cheers,

Alex.