[Free-sklyarov-uk] concrete examples

[Jonathan Peterson]

At 11:07 11/08/01 +0100, you wrote:
> > The question I always like to ask is: "do authors have a moral right
> > to the increased profits from restricted playability of recorded
> > media?"
>
>and where, I might ask, did you get the naive idea that the *author*
>sees any of those profits ?  Copyright servers publishers.


Copyright serves the copyright holders. That authors often (not always) 
choose to give it up to publishers in return for the work that publishers 
do is their affair. Many have said that digital distribution will free 
authors from the need to pay for publishing in advance with their 
copyright. This is debatable, as marketing and editing account for rather 
more of publishing costs (AFAIK) than printing and distributing, which is 
actually pretty cheap.

In any case, digital distribution certainly won't free authors from this if 
copyright is impossible - an author is better off selling their rights for 
some cash and a few royalties than simply surrendering them altogether in 
exchange for access to an unproven distribution channel (i.e. ebooks or 
whatever).

I would keep moral rights out of the argument. Simply ask "How much would 
you pay for a CD that you could only play on one CD player and that was 
uncopiable?" and point out how soon, that might be the only kind you can buy.