[barthvr]

Because writing a book, shooting a movie, composing a song, takes time ?

So either those pieces are IP-protected, and their author can make money with it, or we have to set up a basic income for everyone, and art becomes free.

[regularfry]

It's perfectly consistent to say both that there needs to be a system to ensure creators are compensated and that the current system for doing so is terrible.

[Veen]

It is consistent but useless if you have no suggestion as to what would replace the current system in a way that preserves the benefits to both parties.

1. Creators get a sustainable reward for their work. They wouldn't do it otherwise. I certainly don't do it for fun.

2. Consumers get to access that work as they wish.

(Of course, this being HN, I'd expect any ideas to apply to developers as well as to writers and artists i.e. if writers have to give up copyright, so do developers, startups, and so on.)

[regularfry]

Keeping the benefits intact for both parties is a non-goal.

How about 14 year max copyright terms? Make copyright unsellable and uninheritable, so you don't get massive copyright hoarding entities that can distort legislation for their own benefit?

That's just two suggestions off the top of my head. I do get tired by false dichotomies.