Comments on: Writing and piracy – Stoddard pops Pogue’s balloon

By: Neal Cline

Neal Cline — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:50:18 +0000

OK, Mr. Stoddard, then could you please explain what you meant by the
sentence, “Who says anyone has any right to any kind of revenue
multiplication scheme?” That seems like a contradictory statement coming
from a multi-millionaire. I am seeking understanding here, not ammunition.

By: Adam Rakunas

Adam Rakunas — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:39:31 +0000

Wow. Never thought I’d see “Socialist” used to describe something Jason wrote. Dude, if you really are a closet Socialist, can I get some more vacation time?

By: Jason Stoddard

Jason Stoddard — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:24:05 +0000

Wow, people *really* don’t know me, do they?

Just to clear the record: I have built a multi-million dollar business from zero with zero investment, I am a professional science fiction author and a finalist for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. I expect nothing for free, and I understand things from the point of view of the author.

However, we have to be serious about the royalty model–it is based entirely on a 19th-century structure of strictly controlled production and distribution. When we lose control of both, we need new models.

And whining about your mortgage is really silly, no matter what you do.

By: magetoo

magetoo — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:29:35 +0000

Jess:
No, you do not have the moral right to profit from your work. You have a *legal* right to *try* and do that, but that is a different thing. The legal system we have today is set up to give authors a good shot at getting some money from written works (or that’s the idea…) but it isn’t based on inherent rights, it is based on what is useful for society. And current laws do not imply universal rights.

For the record; I, of course, don’t have a moral right to profit from my work either. None of us do. (I’d love to work with whatever I like and believe would be useful, but the reality is that I have to look for work that pays. So goodbye open source programming for a living, hello tech support!)

I don’t have a solution either, and I wish I did. But it seems pretty clear that legislation isn’t going to stop people from exchanging bits and words with each other, now that it’s so easy. Making a moral argument from “it’s what we have now, so it is good” won’t convince a lot of people who would otherwise go to the nearest torrent site for something to read. So find a way to make a living in the world we live in today, or don’t.

By: Paul Raven

Paul Raven — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:38:42 +0000

Neal – Having just re-read Stoddard’s piece to see if I’d missed something, I can assure you that at no point does he mention wanting to get things for free. As a writer and content creator himself, why would he want to shoot himself in the foot?

Jess – Stoddard *is* saying what you think he should say, and at no point suggests that you shouldn’t have the moral right to profit from your work. What he’s saying is that you need a new way of doing it … and as unpalatable an idea as that may be, it’s getting harder to refute by the day.