"Obscurity is perhaps the oldest trick on the book to accomplish that. Of you explain the relationship between A, B and C in simple terms, that explanation, once understood, can be repeated and spread to "the masses" as you initially suggested, but the producer will not receive a penny or even recognition, because his/her invention will soon become common knowledge. If, otoh, he/she wraps that explanation in the layers of obscure and incomprehensible verbiage - the spread of that intellectual product will be difficult, if at all possible, without people buying the whole package in the form of a book or other recording - which suits the interests of the producers of the intellectual commodity in question."
Thanks Woj. Anyone who has spent 10 minutes in academia (in the last 25 years) knows this. It's interesting though, that this was not the case (at least in literary studies) before the mid-seventies.
Joanna