copyright is dead

Copyright served a function for the last several centuries, when it cost something to make physical copies. Still does, and stealing them *is* a crime. Now we have electronic copies, and they are free. You can't steal them, you can only make another copy. Artists are going to have to go back to the business model that existed before copyright:

Musicians - have to play music. And keep playing. If they don't play, they don't get paid. Playing once and then getting paid for it forever - that's over.

Actors - have to act. And keep acting. If they don't act, they don't get paid. Acting once and then getting paid for it forever - that's over.

Storytellers - have to tell stories. And keep telling stories. If they don't tell stories, they don't get paid. Telling one story once and then getting paid for it forever - that's over.

Doctors - have to heal people. <sarcasm>Why should they invent a new surgical procedure and then just "share" it with the world? Who would invent new surgical procedures in an environment like that?? where is the motivation???</sarcasm> The neat trick is: people would still create art even if you punished them for it. The argument that nobody would create art if they couldn't sit back and collect money from everyone who ever becomes aware of it in any way - it stuns me that line of reasoning has any legs with anyone.

That's pretty much it. If you're a one man software shop, then you are the valuable item. You wrote the game, so you will be able to come up with the best sequels and expansion packs and whatnot. The game itself isn't worth anything, who cares how many copies are out there, the more there are then the more valuable you are. If everyone plays your game, then you're the world famous expert at expanding it, and I would love to have a deal with you for exclusive first release rights on my website. Sure it will spread like wildfire and you'll be able to get it anywhere, but why would anyone mess around when everyone knows where it will come from.

Recordings are really just a promotional tool. It's a twisted view to see them as the valuable item. The artist is the valuable item. I don't want a recording of a song, I want to be there when the artist performs the song. I'll take a recording though since the artist won't live at my beck and call :-(

Labels have a place as aggregators. The sooner they learn that the better chance they have of surviving. I'd like a place that can tell what I'm into and feed me stuff I like, I'd even pay a subscription for that - even if all the actual material was freely available everywhere. And actual official physical media can still be valuable. Trademark should still apply so that you can tell if you are getting the real thing or not. I should still be able to buy a CD (and still do, but almost exclusively directly from independent artists). But that's not the only way to do it anymore, so artificially pumped up prices aren't going to cut it in the marketplace. Make them reasonable and collectors will still want them. But that will never have the scale it used to.

Copyright was a temporary arrangement made necessary by the limitations of technology. That age is coming to an end. Adapt or die. :-)