So, I'm having problems reconciling some ideas about artist protection with my appreciation of a finished product.
In short, sometimes artists who would dislike the current copyright systems create some awesome things. Like this:
I get the distinct impression that while this artist would prefer that her work be completely free to anyone and everyone.
However, (and I might not have considered this if it hadn't been so diligently detailed online) since the work above involved using some works belonging to others (in the past, or through various legal issues, etc), it made me strongly consider what would happen if all artistic works were free to anyone with access to them.
On the one hand, you could achieve worldwide exposure in days, which would be pretty awesome. And some pretty cool stuff could be created. Without any contact, hundreds of creative ideas from different could be flawlessly joined into works of art.
On the other, and this is the side that I find myself aligned with, by freeing your work from copyright, you are making it very difficult to profit from your hours and hours of labor and inspiration. It would be fine if it was a personal choice. If I, for instance, chose to create fantastic paintings and encourage others to view my work through any means convenient to them, either from free viewings, to downloaded scans. However, if the expectation spreads, if the world begins to expect entertainment for free, I think it would be extremely hard for anyone to support themselves through their artistic work.
My work has value, and I'd rather have the credit and profit from it than allow everyone to have access to it. It's probably a very bourgois(sp?) idea, but I like it. Demand can create value as well.
(This is partially why I get upset on Ravelry when someone says "I like pattern X, but don't want to pay anything for it. Is there a similar pattern for free that someone can point me to, because SIGHT LITERALLY UNSEEN I feel that the designer is asking too much." I also chuckle happily when a designer restricts pattern distribution to a hard copy via mail.)
