Re: Design principles and ethics

[Bas Wijnen]

On Thu, May 04, 2006 at 07:00:00PM +0200, Pierre THIERRY wrote:
> > Ok.  But in many cases, the infrastructure will be paid for regardless
> > of the copying.
> 
> Libraries could, but we may still need bookshops to have advice on the
> books, and editors.
> 
> Publishing a book has never and will never just be the act of writing
> and then sending it to humanity. You need people correcting the text,
> you need someone to give you advice on where and how to publish it (the
> editors select books for their collections and themes) and there is a
> lot of work to transform the sole text in a readable object.
> 
> Believe me, I'm just typesetting and sci-fi book of a friend of mine.
> There _is_ an infrastructure cost, that would not be paid in any
> circumstances. We have a lot of work to adapt our economy to the digital
> world, and the solution is not pretending digital world makes
> distribution cost disappear.
> 
> That is an affirmation that is not connected to reality.

The infrastructure I was talking about is internet and broadband connections.
These will be built and paid, irrespective of the number of copies of music
and movies that go over it.

I am not saying producing content is free of cost.  I am also not saying that
it shouldn't be paid for anymore.  I'm saying that it shouldn't be paid _per
copy_, because counting the number of copies is hardly possible, and it's
simply not desirable to put a penalty on copying, because that's what it
effectively means to ask money per copy.

Of course authors should be paid.  I don't know how.  I don't care enough to
think deeply about it either, so I leave that to others.  I'm just saying that
payment per copy is not a good idea.

Thanks,
Bas

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