From: spike66 (spike66@ATTBI.com)
Date: Sat Mar 30 2002 - 23:02:37 MST
Rüdiger Koch wrote:
>>
>>Let me counter with two German and one Austrian composers.
>>
>>The first got paid for playing the organ during the service.
>>
Bach. Agreed he was a monster composer. Perhaps the best who ever lived.
>>The second actually got paid for some of his music. He had a day job at the
>>palace in Vienna....He died in absolute poverty with an age of
>>30something.
>>
Mozart. One of the very greats, yes. An equal of Rachmaninov.
>>The third also lived in Vienna most of the time on the pocket money of 3
>>friends of his music. With him, the classic era ended and IMHO also peaked.
>>For me, his music is on a level that has never been reached again. Absolute
>>Musik!
>>
Beethoven or Strauss? I see your point: Vienna was a hotbed for
cross pollenating musical ideas.
>>I guess I am arguing that intellectual property is a good
>>thing. If we wanna play, we gotta pay. spike
>>
>
>IP is taken way too serious. Man, what if Planck's heirs would charge
>everybody who dares to use quantum mechanics?
>
Planck didn't invent the quantum, he discovered it.
> What if every engineer would
>have to pay royalties to Cambridge because nothing they do would be possible
>without his work? Every use of electricity should include a penny for
>Maxwell? How dare we cash in on the expense of those upon who's shoulders we
>stand? Our part in our intellectual 'property' is a tiny one, even if we're
>geniusses.
>
I recognize that intellectual property is subject to vile abuses.
I want to stick to IP as it pertains to the creation of art. Science
has its way of rewarding its monster players, as does engineering.
It is not clear to me how society will encourage the creation of
art, music and literature if we do not find a way to keep the
creators fed and housed.
Perhaps living in the Silly Clone Valley as I do, drives home
the lesson that everyone needs a substantial and steady income.
This is a great place for intellectual cross pollenation, but there
are no cheap places to live here, no dives, nothing analogous
to my 50 dollar a month "apartment" in Seattle where I lived in
1983. Places like that here are occupied by upstart entrepreneurs
and college students, and rent for at least 800.
I dont see how a starving musician could ever make it, especially
as record company sponsorships would have to be falling off,
or going exclusively to safer profit makers. Such as Britney.
Aspiring young writers? Well, at least they would have a great
poverty period from which to draw material. But if we defeat
copyright, the most promising writers will be flipping burgers.
spike
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