<
https://www.techdirt.com/2023/03/09/copyright-has-been-one-of-lifes-certainties-but-will-it-always-be/>
"Copyright seems to be a fixture of our legal, economic and social systems. For
300 years, it has formed the backbone of the structures used to incentivize and
remunerate creators. During that time, copyright has been extended repeatedly
in length and breadth. The original term of the 1710 Statute of Anne – 14
years’ monopoly protection with a provision for renewal for a further 14 years
– has blossomed into life plus 70 years for much of the world. Copyright now
applies to areas far beyond the original scope of printed works. These constant
and unidirectional moves by legislators around the world might seem to confirm
that copyright is an effective approach where more is better, and that it is
working as a means of rewarding artists fairly. The facts suggest otherwise.
For example, in 2018 the US Authors Guild conducted a survey of US writers. It
revealed that the median author income was $6,080, down from $8,000 in 2014,
$10,500 in 2009 and $12,850 in 2007. Respondents who identified themselves as
full-time book authors still only earned a median income of $20,300, even
including other sources of income such as teaching. That is a level that is
well below the US federal poverty line for a family of three or more.
In the world of academic publishing, the situation is even worse: authors are
typically not paid for their work at all. No wonder, then, that the leading
academic publisher Elsevier has consistently enjoyed profit margins of 30-40% –
far beyond what companies in other industries ever achieve. Moreover, academics
are routinely required to assign the copyright of their work to the publishing
companies. This has the effect of making it hard or impossible for researchers
to share their own papers and results with colleagues unless they seek and are
granted permission by the publisher. In this case, copyright impedes wider
access to knowledge, and acts as an obstacle to the collaborative approach that
lies at the heart of research.
Things are also bad in the music industry. A report published by a UK
Parliament committee found in 2021 that “the terms under which the major music
groups in particular acquire the rights to music favor the majors at the
expense of the creators”. This has resulted in an average income for performers
that is less than the median wage."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
