Executive summary: Technological innovations that decrease the fixed and marginal costs of producing information tend to decrease optimal copyright strength, but also increase substitutability between original and copied works, with ambiguous net effects. Modern internet text likely warrants shorter copyright than physical books.
Key points:
The printing press decreased fixed costs of creating information, suggesting weaker copyright, but increased substitutability between original and copied books, with ambiguous net effects.
Subsequent innovations like the internet further decreased costs and increased substitutability.
Empirically, content production has thrived even with weak copyright, suggesting modern copyright terms are too long.
Copyright law is vulnerable to lobbyist influence rather than optimizing for societal benefit.
As AI increases substitutability between human-made and AI-made content, better understanding the tradeoffs around copyright and technology will be increasingly important.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, andcontact us if you have feedback.
Executive summary: Technological innovations that decrease the fixed and marginal costs of producing information tend to decrease optimal copyright strength, but also increase substitutability between original and copied works, with ambiguous net effects. Modern internet text likely warrants shorter copyright than physical books.
Key points:
The printing press decreased fixed costs of creating information, suggesting weaker copyright, but increased substitutability between original and copied books, with ambiguous net effects.
Subsequent innovations like the internet further decreased costs and increased substitutability.
Empirically, content production has thrived even with weak copyright, suggesting modern copyright terms are too long.
Copyright law is vulnerable to lobbyist influence rather than optimizing for societal benefit.
As AI increases substitutability between human-made and AI-made content, better understanding the tradeoffs around copyright and technology will be increasingly important.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.