> First, even if the book lost copyright protection people would still be free to support the author by buying copies,
This would pale in comparison to the status quo. There’s just too many people who don’t pay to support free things. Just look at how open source projects often struggle to find funding, or relicense to non-open licenses. Or how often the open source project isn’t the persons full time job.
> Second, if the book lost copyright protection wouldn’t Donald, losing that revenue stream, then be motivated to replace it by writing a follow up book?
I can’t speak to anyone else’s motivations but my own, but for me, no, I wouldn’t even bother writing the first book.
> that because a work is popular artists have a right to continue to profit.
Authors like Knuth should benefit from the wealth they helped others created. TAOCP provides a wealth of knowledge the reader can use to improve the quality of their work product. This is still a benefit long past a few decades.
> I think it’s good to keep in mind that anything copyrighted is being withheld from society at large;
This would pale in comparison to the status quo. There’s just too many people who don’t pay to support free things. Just look at how open source projects often struggle to find funding, or relicense to non-open licenses. Or how often the open source project isn’t the persons full time job.
> Second, if the book lost copyright protection wouldn’t Donald, losing that revenue stream, then be motivated to replace it by writing a follow up book?
I can’t speak to anyone else’s motivations but my own, but for me, no, I wouldn’t even bother writing the first book.
> that because a work is popular artists have a right to continue to profit.
Authors like Knuth should benefit from the wealth they helped others created. TAOCP provides a wealth of knowledge the reader can use to improve the quality of their work product. This is still a benefit long past a few decades.
> I think it’s good to keep in mind that anything copyrighted is being withheld from society at large;
It was not societies property in the first place.