[wos] Survey: Copyright laws work against creativity

[Philip Steffan]

A new survey shows that copyright doesn't earn musicians a living, quite 
contrary in some cases it costs them more that they can afford:

<http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue10_1/kretschmer/>

> Abstract:
> 
> Digital technologies are often said (1) to enable a qualitatively new
> engagement with already existing cultural materials (for example
> through sampling and adaptation); and, (2) to offer a new
> disintermediated distribution channel to the creator. A review of
> secondary data on music artists’ earnings and eight in–depth
> interviews conducted in 2003–04 in Britain and Germany indicate that
> both ambitions have remained largely unfulfilled. The article
> discusses to what extent the structure of copyright law is to blame,
> and sets out a research agenda.

(Seen on Boing Boing, 
<http://www.boingboing.net/2005/02/09/musicians_dont_earn_.html>)

Regards,
Philip