Alpha. There is nothing to talk about here. If nobody has to pay an artist, then nobody will, no matter how famous he is. I say, the more famous an artist is, the more money he loses on that stupid planet.
Beta. He ain't losin' money, because nobody gets money there.
Gamma. How come?
Beta. If nobody's has to pay for use of an artwork, then everybody may copy it and have it for free.
Delta. Yeah, except for the money spent on copying.
Gamma. So somebody does get money? The copy machines! Haha!
Kappa. And somebody owns those machines.
Beta. People could sell or rent copy machines and other things you need, right? By the way, if copying takes money and time, then people may come along and do it for others, right? What are people called, that copy for others?
Teacher. Publishers?
Beta. Publishers.
Alpha. So what? The artist still gets nothing. Only your ''publishers'' and the factories that make the xerox machines. That's not fair!
Beta. Hmm, this is interesting... The planet makes a work as known as it is good, right?
Delta. Right. So?
Beta. If it is known, then people want it...
Delta. Hey-hey, I'm starting to get where you're heading. The more people want it, the more those publishers get, right?
Beta. Right, and they start to have a competition.
Delta. Yah! Who can get people to buy more of his copies!
Alpha. What baloney! How can they have a competition, if the work is the same for everybody?
Beta. How? How do they always compete? Some put lots of ads on TV-that's how they compete. Some sell their copies cheaper-that's how they compete. Some make their books in hardcover-that's how! Everybody understands that!
Alpha. Okay, okay. Publishers get money. They compete and steal each other's business... all right, who cares? They don't bug me. What about the artists?
Beta. What about them? Use your imagination, Alpha.
Alpha. Use yours.
Beta. I am. They all live there and know how it works...
Alpha. We know, too. So?
Beta. So? Publishers know: the very moment a work pops out of the house, it becomes available for everybody.
Alpha. Yes, and you don't understand, Beta. That's the catch - the artist loses it right away!
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