Imagine not understanding what it would really mean.

I write a book.

For 20-years I get paid for my book. After the 20-years just the publishers make money from selling my book.

Would it be ok if I came and took stuff you physically made 20-years ago and say it's ok - you made it 20-years ago.

>Would it be ok if I came and took stuff you physically made 20-years ago and say it's ok - you made it 20-years ago.

Yes. I would be thrilled if anything I made had enough cultural value after 20 years that the commons still had a use for it. Better that than, say, a publisher deciding it no longer has market value and simply never printing any more and pulping the rest.

And as far as the publishers getting paid, the publishers are always getting paid. You signed away part of your rights to them to begin with, and if they couldn't get paid, they wouldn't publish your work to begin with. You've already decided they have the right to profit from your work, what's under debate is how long anyone else has to wait to do the same.

> I would be thrilled if anything I made had enough cultural value after 20 years that the commons still had a use for it.

You would be thrilled that you made something that good. Since something that good is very very rare. You would be very upset that I was getting all the value that it provides for free just because of how long ago you made it.

> And as far as the publishers getting paid, the publishers are always getting paid. You signed away part of your rights to them to begin with, and if they couldn't get paid, they wouldn't publish your work to begin with. You've already decided they have the right to profit from your work, what's under debate is how long anyone else has to wait to do the same. 100% if I take anything off you without paying for it, you're going to be screaming from the rafters about how unfair it all is.

When you enter into a publishing contract the deal is they make money and you make money. Entering into a contract where they make money and you make nothing is fundamentally not a contract, it is not legal is nearly every country. This is why contracts where they sell companies with massive debt but have assets such as for example Football clubs sell for 1 pound/dollar/euro. There must be an exchange. The idea that it's ok for one entity to stop paying another entity just because "you knew I was going to be making money" is disgusting.

Personally, I think to disagree with the idea it's fair someone gets paid for their work is just pure greed. It's absolutely disgusting to think it's fair a company gets to make money off someone's work without paying them. I think people who think along those lines a morally bankrupt.