OPINION

The $45 Billion Copyright Scam

April 15, 2025 • 8 min read • By Alexander Kumar

Every entrepreneur pays a hidden tax. Not to the government—to copyright holders who haven't created anything new in decades.

Global music copyrights alone generated $45.5 billion in 2023, with most revenue flowing to corporate intermediaries rather than actual creators.


The Creator Lie: Who Really Benefits?

"Copyright protects artists" is corporate propaganda.

  • Record labels typically command 50-85% of copyright revenue
  • Artists need 250 streams to make $1 on Spotify
  • Before streaming, singer-songwriters earned 10-15% per CD sold—now they get fractions of a cent per stream

Copyright isn't protecting creators. It's protecting corporate middlemen.


The "Use It or Lose It" Solution

Core Principle: Abandon your product = lose your enforcement rights

  • Publisher shuts down game servers → fans can legally host private servers
  • Software company stops supporting product → community can maintain and modify
  • Record label shelves catalog → artists regain control
  • No current products affected → creators keep revenue during active commercial life

The Economic Evidence

Multiple economic studies conclude that current copyright terms provide no additional creative incentives.

  • Publishers can expect to earn nearly 100% of expected revenue from a work in its first 30 years
  • Only 2% of works between 55-75 years old retain commercial value
  • Historical precedent: only 10% of works included copyright notice—90% went immediately into public domain

The $10K/Month Opportunity

Current State: Navigate IP minefields, pay licensing fees, avoid entire market segments due to copyright uncertainty

Post-Copyright State: Build on any foundation, remix freely, compete on execution speed and quality rather than legal monopoly


The Bottom Line

Current system: 70-year monopolies that primarily benefit corporate intermediaries while imposing massive social costs.

Reformed system: Creators profit during active commercial life (where 100% of economic value occurs anyway), then society benefits from open access.