[LAU] quick follow-on to the RPM2010 thread

[frank pirrone]

drew Roberts wrote:
> On Monday 18 January 2010 05:26:46 rosea grammostola wrote:
>   
>> frank pirrone wrote:
>>     
>>> <snip>
>>> We hoped others might build upon our music and anticipated the delight
>>> at hearing a remix, or someone substituting their soaring vocals or
>>> guitar for my humble efforts.  It never happened, but I can't think of a
>>> greater "reward" for what we did should it ever.
>>>
>>> So, think of it as a kit that you can Freely give to anyone who is
>>> interested, and who can in turn Freely pass it on, inside which are ALL
>>> the parts needed to first do everything we did but more importantly to
>>> start at that point and do something we never imagined.
>>>       
>> There is at least one difference. Scientists get payed for their
>> job/work by the university. Who's gonna pay the musician who is making a
>> cd (and is not an live musician)?
>>     
> This will require some experiments...
>
> Some thoughts:
>
> 1. the people who want your fancy, numbered, limited edition boxed sets?
> 2, the people who want to use it in their blockbuster film which they do not 
> want to license BY-SA?
>
> See: http://packet-in.org/wiki/index.php?title=Income
>
> for even more thoughts. Basically, I just write lyrics when it comes to music. 
> So who is going to pay me?
>   
Greetings Rosea and Drew,

I was making a broader philosophical, and political, point about how the
advance of human knowledge and technology occurred via the process of
building upon prior work, for most of history - freely shared. 
Absolutely nothing novel or profound here.  It's the essence of the
concept of Free Software, and the essence of what was lost when
knowledge became proprietary. 

It's what Stallman wrote about, and the reason for the GPL, or
copyleft.  Raymond's bazaar is largely where Open Source resides.

The point here is more circumscribed and sharply focused.  First, we did
not even offer to sell our music - we simply gave it away.  I'm not sure
if we ever even had a donation link up.  I don't believe so.  However,
had we offered our work for sale, in addition to what Drew cites above,
the answer to your question is...our customers.  Anyone wanting to buy
our finished CD could/would have paid for it.  Especially if we posted
no freely downloadable mixed and mastered finished tracks.

Think about that in the context of our discussion here:  How cool would
that CC by SA/Commercial hybrid model be?  We'd still post our
individual tracks, but anyone wanting our "version" of our work could
buy it.  ALL our giant's shoulders would be sitting there inviting
anyone interested to come and stand on them.  Anyone could download them
and mix and master them as they desire.  They could, as I suggested in
my original posting, drop my vocal and guitar parts, record their own,
and polish off a finished derivative work!  Sampling would take on a new
meaning in that model.
>> Playing the advocate of the devil here...
>>     
> Well.... who is going to pay you for your stuff when so many are doing the 
> Free thing? Back at ya.... ~;-)
>   
>> \r
>>     
Well, I rarely advocate the devil, but fully support your right to do so! 

Seriously, Rosea, these are indeed interesting, and valid questions, but
I believe most folk's reflexive assumptions and answers are subject to
scrutiny.  We've ALL had our brains washed...and creme rinsed, I
suppose.  Go back and reread Bill Gates' open letter to the Homebrew
Computer Club to see just how entrenched his assumptions were at such an
early stage, and then trace the subsequent course of proprietary
software, copyright, patents, P2P, lawsuits,  SPA/RIAA/MPAA, etc. to
gain some appreciation for exactly how big a red pill you'd have to
swallow to shuck the influences under which we've labored to even begin
to see the alternatives.
> all the best,
>
> drew
>   
Frank