Starving artists (e.g. inventors, writers, the whole creative shebang) drive the volume of economic diversity. It is the potential reward of success (personal satisfaction, money, fame, cars, houses, whatever) that drives them to produce. A culture of unrelenting (ever increasing) entitlement stifles that production. Diversity suffers. The economy weakens.

Boss denied that promotion of yours?

Starving artists entertain the masses to shorten their boredom. They should pay us gazillions just for that. Yet I heard there's legislature discussed that would give the copyright to the publisher as opposed to the artist. <-- Pure robbery.

Boss denied that promotion of yours?

Wha?

Not at all.

In fact things are going well I think, thanks!

I was just thinking about it and so I posted it to see what people think aboot it.

Starving artists entertain the masses to shorten their boredom. They should pay us gazillions just for that. Yet I heard there's legislature discussed that would give the copyright to the publisher as opposed to the artist. <-- Pure robbery.

it has happened, some guy in america(it could only happen theer) got sued by his record campany(which owned the copyright to his song) becuase his second song sounded too much like the original

The inventor's reward is his pleasure in the act of invention or creativity. The rest of us are slaves to consumerism with no job satisfaction!

Inventions are by way of corporations today for trying to secure a patent on an idea is rather costly and lengthly. That doesn't mean once you've recieved your patent that someone couldn't come along from either another country or a reverse engineer to steal your product away from you.

it has happened, some guy in america(it could only happen theer) got sued by his record campany(which owned the copyright to his song) becuase his second song sounded too much like the original

I wonder about copyright laws in other places. But I guess US could impose the same policy on other countries.

No, America cannot impose laws that make other countries liable for copyright infringement UNLESS those countries have signed a pact with the American government allowing American lawyers to go after those who violate the copyright laws. Many countries have never signed such an agreement and therefore any songs sold or played over there aren't going to recieve royalties.

Laws exist for the lawless. Every law is there in this context to protect the artist from others greed. The same laws will catch that self-same artist if they themselves become greedy.
Their art is their reward. Simple as.

I am an actor, therefore I am a starving artist. Do I yearn success and recognition? Of course. But the driving factor is summarized in the following sentence: I do it because I love doing it. This is the motivator for most artistic people; it is not the urge to gain money or fame, but the urge to be creative.

I am an actor, therefore I am a starving artist. Do I yearn success and recognition? Of course. But the driving factor is summarized in the following sentence: I do it because I love doing it. This is the motivator for most artistic people; it is not the urge to gain money or fame, but the urge to be creative.

Exactly what I was saying. Love of money will cause your art to die anyway.

it has happened, some guy in america(it could only happen theer) got sued by his record campany(which owned the copyright to his song) becuase his second song sounded too much like the original


Are you talking about John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival? He was sued by a record producer that had bought out all the rights to the Creedence collection. Later, Fogerty's solo album had a song called "The Old Man Down the Road." This song was very reminiscent of the CCR song "Run Through the Jungle." He was sued, but he won. It came down to the fact that he wrote the song in a particular style ("Swamp Rock" ... whatever that is) and it was ruled that there was no direct infringment of copyright ... very much like "Bad to the Bone" is very reminiscent of several old blues tunes (See: "Hoochie Coochie Man," "Mannish Boy," etc.)

For a long time, Fogerty couldn't even perform his own Creedence songs in concert because the restrictions were so tight, which is odd since any garage band in the country could play "Green River" or "Proud Mary" any time, anywhere.

It basically came down to corporate greed and basic property rights, not legislative rulings involving copyright. The producer bought the rights, he had the right to sue.

So you mean that legislature crap didn't get passed yet?
I was referring to painted art, as in book illustration. What used to happen was that an artist can do a book cover for the publisher, and then allow someone else to do a poster, etc, and this way get money more than once for the same piece of art. Which is what would make an artist rich in the beginning of 20th century and today would allow to make a living. (Don't ask me about details of these things, 'tis vague.) Well, in comic book art it wouldn't be like that, and stuff done for movies is different, too. Book illustration as a living is dying out anyways. But it's still worth concern.
What I'll have to do one day is take a long read of the copyright laws of different nations. :eek:
It was brought up on a recent lecture that students from US go on internship to Europe. Picture my excitement! London, baby!
No, America cannot impose laws that make other countries liable for copyright infringement
Considering international trade.... Yes, there are loopholes now, but I suspect there soon won't be any. Well, I guess not fully impose but to reach some sort of agreement the outcome of which won't be nice for us users.

There is the notion of commissioned artwork, where the rights belong to the commissioner. I work as a contract photographer and the work that I produce for the guy who pays me belongs to him. I don't own the copyright on that stuff. Art produced for advertisements (print ads, commercial jingles, etc) belongs to the producers of the ads, not the artists who created the art.

Interesting. They tell us so little about that stuff in school, it's all in a haze. They just keep repeating that employers will be out to take advantage of fresh-out-of-school naive prey. Tell me more, if you know more, and where to find that stuff out.

I'm an artist making about $500 a month.
I've been doing it for about 2 years.
Haven't been able to produce much.
It's easy to blame it on circumstances because every time I seem to be moving forward, something disasterous occurs, and I get screwed to the point that I have to start all over.
From getting robbed, getting injured, getting harrased, losing power from storms, having to help family when they are in trouble, getting seriously ripped off, being evicted for no reason/being homeless, and having barely enough money per month to live on makes it difficult.

For example, after being homeless, I'd finally get myself settled again, and begin to work on my music. My expenses are a little more than my $500/mo income. I decide to start teaching dance again to bring in extra money. Sudddenly my foot gets injured while I'm jogging. I freak out that I'll never be able perform or dance again because my foot broke. Because this has never happened to me before.

Fortunately, the doctor said nothing was broken. I'll be in serious pain for about two more weeks, but as long as I wear this brace, Ill be back on my feet again.
The thing is, this very type of thing that affects my productivity as a "starving artist" seems to occur everytime I start become productive.

Then to top it off, I have people and good friends telling me to give up all the plans I have been working for because:
I have never gotten anywhere with it,
I never will get anywhere with it,
they hate the fact that I never have money to hang out with them,
I can make tons of money using my business education/degrees and abilities in marketing and organizational design.
I get job offers like crazy for high paying positions in companies that most people would jump at.

On the other hand, I have people telling me the songs that I write sound like nothing they've ever heard before, and beg me to make more, and stop letting circustances get in my way from producing.

My motivation?
I do it because I love doing it. In a way.
I do love doing it, I love the stage, I love creating. But that's just part of it.

I do it because I can eventually make tons of money off of it. In away.
I personally feel what I do is very marketable, I have the ability to make it sell, and I have the ability to make tons of money off of it. But again, that's just part of it.

I do it because I have fascinating ideas and creations that I want to show the world. In a way.
The music that I do is music that I myself am amazed with. I do want other people to enjoy what I created. I t makes me feel good that other people can be entertained from something I have created.
But that's not my main motivation.

I feel obligated to do it. I feel it is my responsibility as a person with with an ability to use that ability to influence and contribute.
That's my motivation.
I can take the easy way out. Get a job, make tons of money, and throw what I have created and what I have the potential to create into the dumpsters.
Sure I can influence and contribute doing other things, and being an activist and speaker, or something.
But at the end of the day, I find myself writing music, I find myself rehearsing steps and writing ideas for stage shows, I find myself doing what I have come to the conclusion, I need to be doing.

The inventor's reward is his pleasure in the act of invention or creativity. The rest of us are slaves to consumerism with no job satisfaction!

I'm mostly satisfied with my job.

I'm also motivated to overcome my scenario.

It sounds like you aren't, or lack the ability. That should serve as motivation to gain the ability. Are you helpless?

The inventor's reward is his pleasure in the act of invention or creativity.
To uh burst your bubbles about those creators who are satisfied with air.... As one of those artists, I wish I didn't have to starve. The act of creation is pleasant; I also want the result to be pleasant, and the reward. Feed the Starving Creator!

The rest of us are slaves to consumerism with no job satisfaction!
If you are not satisfied with your job, seek a different one. If you do not like the field you're in, you have numerous other choices you could consider. Also, consumerism is a great thing; it keeps us fed, more or less.

No it doesn't. Consumerism is destroying us. Consumerism is a serious cancer.

No it doesn't. Consumerism is destroying us. Consumerism is a serious cancer.

But isn't the artist obliged to this position until he's no longer starving?

From that same perspective, isn't theism, professional sports, the movie industry and pretty much any business endeavor evil? Isn't that basically communist?

You some kind of commie? Hehe.

Like it or not at this point consumerism allows progress, as since people value said good and services, they are willing to contribute to the economy in order to gain them. Contributing to the economy contributes to technological progress (by putting enough value in the economy to warrent investment in advancement) which in turn allows the species to meet the challenges incurred by an expanding population.

At least that's how it seems at the moment.