Re: copyright expiration as a spur to creativity

On Wed, 29 Jul 1998, Dan L. Burk <burkdanl[_at_]shu.edu> wrote:
>
> On 7/28/98, Albert Henderson <noblestation[_at_]compuserve.com> wrote:
> >
> > Why wouldn't someone exploiting creative work pay for
> > rights if the rights are so valuable? It is common
> > practice in the publishing and entertainment industry
> > around the world.
>
> They will, but why should they have to? The point is that the
> consumer is better off if the good can be made available for
> free, or nearly free -- and it can be, once it is created.
> Consequently, consumers of the good should only have to pay for
> it to the extent necessary to induce the creator to create it
> in the first place. 100 or more years of monopoly rents are
> probably not necessary to induce creation -- something less than
> that will probably suffice.

Then you must be against all private enterprise, with all the property rights that encourage investing and making profits (or losing your shirt).

On Mon, 03 Aug 1998, Dan L. Burk <burkdanl[_at_]shu.edu> wrote:
>
> On Fri, 31 Jul 1998, Albert Henderson <NobleStation[_at_]compuserve.com> wrote:
> >
> > What is so objectionable about publishers underwriting dissemination
> > and recouping their investment as in any other business?
>
> As far as I know, nothing. My argument, reproduced above, is that
> any monopoly rent beyond "recouping their investment" is both
> inefficient and socially objectionable.

Since when is "breaking even" an incentive to invest?

> > What is it that singles out "content-oriented" publishers for
> > criticism while "conduit-oriented" information technology firms are
> > encouraged to make all the profits they can?
>
> I'm afraid that I don't follow this question at all, particularly the
> loaded language in the last line. Can you explain yourself further?

I wonder why you don't complain about the profits of firms like Intel, H-P, Xerox, and IBM? Their profits are larger than any publishing company by several orders of magnitude -- far beyond "recoupting their investment."

Albert Henderson, Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY 70244.1532[_at_]compuserve.com Received on Fri Aug 07 1998 - 23:22:59 GMT