Re: copyright expiration as a spur to creativity

On 5 Aug 1998, Michael Scarpitti <mscarpit[_at_]asnt.org> wrote:
>
> On 04, August 1998, Albert Henderson <noblestation[_at_]compuserve.com> wrote:
> >
> > On 7/31/98, Michael Scarpitti <mscarpit[_at_]asnt.org> wrote:
> > >
> > > The trouble with this is that publishers don't really compete on
> > > price, but on authors.
> >
> > This is not entirely true. There are plenty of public domain
> > title listed for sale by multiple publishers in BOOKS IN PRINT.
> > Look up Melville, Plato, Shakespeare, etc. etc.
> >
> > You will see that prices vary as do bindings and, on closer
> > inspection, manufacturing, distribution, and insertion of
> > added materials.
>
> The discussion has been about COPYRIGHTED material, not public domain.
> Can anybody buy a new Stephen King novel from more than one publisher?
> Not generally.

Precisely. Why should a publisher invest in anything but a well proven property unless copyright protected that investment from price competition should it turn out to be succesful?

Albert Henderson, Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY 70244.1532[_at_]compuserve.com Received on Fri Aug 07 1998 - 23:23:08 GMT