> SA asks:
>
>> Doug earns an income stream from LBO by sending people PDFs in
>> exchange for $x. If he didn't have copyright
>> then some dufus somewhere could just put the PDF on a
>> free website and presumably far fewer people would
>> subscribe to LBO. Right? Or am I wrong about this?
>
> My guess is that it woudn't change things much. Just because Doug has
> the copyright doesn't mean it gets enforced; so your hypothetical
> dufus probably exists already. Where are Doug's Men With Big Sticks
> enforcing it? More to the point, don't you think that the kind of
> people who subscribe to LBO would pay for it anyway; and those who
> would pirate it wouldn't buy it if that was the only way to get it?
Given how speculative this kind of reasoning is, Doug would have to be crazy not to feel pretty attached to his copyright rights.
> Just because Doug has the copyright doesn't mean it gets enforced; so
> your hypothetical dufus probably exists already.
I doubt this. When you drive, 90% of the time there are no cops around. That doesn't mean the existence of a speed limit doesn't affect how fast you choose to drive. And if someone was systematically putting up every issue of LBO, I suspect Doug would call a lawyer, or at least threaten the guy with one.
> don't you think that the kind of people who subscribe to LBO would pay
> for it anyway
Who knows? My sub had lapsed for a long while and I decided to re-up when I saw there was something in an issue that I wanted to read. I'm not sure I would have done it if I could have just peeked at the pirate website - esp if I didn't know Doug. Again, if I were him I wouldn't be too keen on trying this out.
SA