[CuriousSkeptic]

Well that’s just the thing. “Fair” in this context is heavily biased by the how the world is currently organized.

I’m pretty sure the notion would sound ridiculous in a world without copyright. Such a world would look very different from ours.

But even if “fair compensation” was the goal. Why then not stipulate that in the law? Whay grant exclusive control of copying to anyone.

[azernik]

Because "fair compensation" is a reeeeally hard term to define legally, while giving someone a monopoly on a particular song and letting the market determine how to price that song's usage is a more workable mechanism.

[CuriousSkeptic]

But it’s really not. Workable that is. The exclusive control of copies throws a huuuge wrench in the machinery.

Just in the copy providing department I still consistently run in to the situation where there is no legal means for me to enjoy certain albums, tv-series, movies, games or software.

But that’s just the problem with the actually legal copies. I find it even more distressing that some of the best works I want to enjoy are illigal to begin with due to the authors infringig of the exclusive right of some longe abandoned work.

And that’s just my experience. Considering the resources and suffering that goes into maintaining this state of affairs just boggles the mind.

[AnimalMuppet]

> But it’s really not. Workable that is. The exclusive control of copies throws a huuuge wrench in the machinery.

Not really (at least, not in addressing lucasmullens' point). I'm making a movie or an ad. I think your song would be just perfect for it. You won't let me use it on terms that I consider reasonable. Well, there's more than one song that would be (approximately) perfect there. I'll see if their copyright holders are more reasonable.

If you absolutely have to have Song X in your movie, then your point is correct. But I assert that, most of the time, that isn't the case. And behold, now there's a market.

[CuriousSkeptic]

If I make an emulator. Perhaps it would be nice to provide a few classic games with upgraded graphics and audio. Even finding the rights holders could be a challenge.

Perhaps I found the new Star Wars movie crap, a few cuts and edits. And it’s much better. Only can only dream of getting the rights of releasing it.

Perhaps the mastering of a Metallica album was just bad. With a little skills applied to the problem and there you go, a much nicer edition of the album. Cant really add it to Spotify though.

[thaumasiotes]

This can't actually be the reason -- music in particular is subject to a variety of compulsory license schemes for which "fair compensation" is legally defined, and the copyright holder does not have the ability to prevent someone from covering / broadcasting / etc. their song.