But all I can say is that music is changing so quickly, and the landscape of the music industry itself is changing so quickly, that everything new, like Spotify, all feels to me a bit like a grand experiment. And I’m not willing to contribute my life’s work to an experiment that I don’t feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists, and creators of this music. And I just don’t agree with perpetuating the perception that music has no value and should be free.
Giorcelli on Italian Opera & Copyright — A fascinating article that looks at empirical data on Italian operas created between 1790-1900, a time period where Italian states were adopting copyright laws at different times. The authors found that adoption of copyright led to a “significant increase” in both quantity and quality of operas created.
Fall of the Banner Ad: The Monster That Swallowed the Web — “Because they are so ineffective, banner ads are sold at low prices for high volume, which means to make any money from them, sites need to pull in major traffic. This business model instilled the idea that page views were a paramount goal of the web, thus spawning millions of low-rent, me-too sites bent on getting your click.”
NPPA Member Justin Cook Reaches Agreement with UNC — The University had originally claimed that since it had found Cook’s photo on the internet, it assumed it was free to use.
Police In Germany Are Trying To Stop Armed Warfare Between Rival File-Sharing Gangs — Yeah, but if you can’t compete when your business is set on fire, than perhaps your business model is outdated.
The Psychological Comforts of Storytelling — The Atlantic looks at why humans have been telling stories for thousands of years and why that’s important.
George R. R. Martin’s Sister: The Economics of Being a Writer — “The implications of this growing inequity for the writing industry are this: in the future, you will need to either a have a wealthy patron, or already be wealthy if you wish to become a writer. Indeed, this is not merely a question for the future; it is the grim reality facing working class and poor writers now.”