[baddox]

> Is it that in your world, eating and paying the rent isn't necessary either?

Of course it is, and thus figuring out an occupation or business model that allows you to eat and pay rent is important.

[gknoy]

While that sounds great, I suspect that there are many people with the skill and interest to be professional artists who, if they were spending their days writing code or welding or $JOB, would be uninterested / unable to dedicate resources (time, money) towards Creating Things in the degree that they can when creating such things is their full-time job.

tl;dr: There should be a way for creative people to make Creating Art the occupation that pays them money for rent/food/etc.

[hackuser]

Based on very limited knowledge, I believe that historically and now, most artists have had 'day jobs'. Very few have earned enough from their art.

Come to think of it, to what degree does IP protect only the most successful artists, and may even be a net hinderence to most.

[baddox]

There's also undoubtedly lots of interesting and potentially profitable art and innovation that is impossible because of those IP laws. I can't confidently say that one set is more worthy than the other.