You can't incent a dead person. No matter what we do, Hawthorne will not produce any more works, no matter how much we pay him.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Lessig points out that dead authors cannot be incentivized by payment, suggesting long copyright terms post-mortem serve no incentive purpose.
- In plain terms
- Dead authors do not need financial incentives.
- What can you take from it?
- Copyright terms extend beyond any incentive purpose.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who benefits after death?
- Does length matter if no one creates?
Another view
Heirs may still need incentives or protection.
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