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Neither do Inventors, which arguably make much more contributions to society, yet their work is only protected for 20 years tops.

What excuse do artists have?

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As with academics, inventors and artists should be paid for their labour long-term, not for their result.

Not sure if you really mean it, but you're kind of making the argument that a person that mindlessly shovels dirt from one hole to another in a circle should be paid. People are paid for the result, not for their labor.

Not at all. You're presuming that nobody can be taken off this hypothetical salary once they're on it, and that they would be placed on it indiscriminately.

Simple safeguards are already in practice in today's economy to prevent such circumstances.

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