Hacker News Reader

The missing link you're looking for is free copying.

Easily copied art that was supported by a capitalist model, where the artist paid for rent, food, etc. by selling the products of his labor?

Correct, that didn't happen.

View on HN

Artists can pay for rent, food, etc. without selling copyright-protected products. We already see this thriving today. Artists are supported by their fans by selling tickets to shows and merchandise. I would argue that you have less trust in free market capitalism if you have to depend on copyright.

That's because easily copyable art didn't exist.

Yet art still happened ... thus art doesn't depend on copyright.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com