Bad. Copyright needs to be reformed, but this would be more likely to put money into the hands of rich people and corporations.
Imagine that I’ve just released a book series that’s more popular than Harry Potter and LOTR combined, and I get hit by a bus. What’s then stopping Disney or Warner Brothers etc from producing a set of movies with all the associated merch, and making a shit load of money, with not a penny going to my family? Not even giving them the opportunity to make enough to live on, never mind getting rich?
In that situation, depending on the contract, the publisher could even pulp the existing books and release identical copies without paying me or my family.
Bad. Copyright needs to be reformed, but this would be more likely to put money into the hands of rich people and corporations.
Imagine that I’ve just released a book series that’s more popular than Harry Potter and LOTR combined, and I get hit by a bus. What’s then stopping Disney or Warner Brothers etc from producing a set of movies with all the associated merch, and making a shit load of money, with not a penny going to my family? Not even giving them the opportunity to make enough to live on, never mind getting rich?
In that situation, depending on the contract, the publisher could even pulp the existing books and release identical copies without paying me or my family.