Computers aren't going to get worse at copying files. That's what they do, they move bits around. What do you do now? This kind of thing is already criminalized, do they think harsh sentencing would do it? Piracy gulags? What?K.W. Jeter seems to have thought so.
""[A]lthough it is true that someone who copies a digital version of a sound recording has little incentive to purchase the recording through legitimate means, it does not necessarily follow that the downloader would have made a legitimate purchase if the recording had not been available for free ... It is a basic principle of economics that as price increases, demand decreases. Customers who download music and movies for free would not necessarily spend money to acquire the same product. I am skeptical that customers would pay $7.22 or $19 for something they got for free. Certainly 100% of the illegal downloads through Elite Torrents did not result in the loss of a sale, but both Lionsgate and RIAA estimate their losses based on this faulty assumption."posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 4:33 PM on June 11, 2009 [3 favorites]
If we assume that there's roughly the same amount of discretionary spending available (which, even allowing for the credit bubble, should be roughly true; most of the credit went into houses), then it's clear who the culprit is: the games industry. By 2009, the amount spent in games and music is almost exactly the same as 1999 (though note that the music industry changed its methods from 2004).If it wasn't downloads, it would've been taping music off the radio, or some other form of not paying for music. What's killing the industry is consumers not seeing the benefit of exchanging dollars for music, when there are more worthwhile uses for their finite budgets. Right now video games offer a better value, and that's where people are spending their money.
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.Nothing in there about the families of authors or inventors. In fact, the clause explicitly states that the focus of copyright is to promote progress, not a specific group of people. If (a big 'if', I grant you) "science and useful arts" can be promoted without copyright, then copyright is unnecessary.
"Why do people who presumably want to make a living at something work as hard as they can to advertise the fact that they have nothing but contempt for the people whose custom they depend on to make that living?"posted by Sys Rq at 2:29 PM on June 12, 2009
GRANT OF RIGHTS:Clearly only artists with an army of lawyers are capable of writing something like this.
Upon receipt of payment, bradbane shall grant to MyMusicianClient the following exclusive rights:
For use as: CD artwork - inside cover of album
For the product, project, or publication named: MyMusicianClient's Band Name
In the following territory: Worldwide
For the following time period of number of uses: CD run up to X number of pieces
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posted by chorltonmeateater at 2:25 PM on June 11, 2009