When I think of a corporation I’m with you, copy it. When I think of anyone taking away a purchase because it was a “license” I’m with you, copy it. When I think about something unavailable for sale, and I think of an individual creator I would pause. Don’t they have a right to stop distribution?
So speaking as an individual creator I think about this a lot, and honestly I don't believe so. I've tried hard to come to the conclusion that any given artist has the right to rescind distribution of a work they've released into the world, and I just can't get there.
Art is communication, and part of communication is that things that have been said stay said. It seems intellectually dishonest to expect to be able to un-release a work for the same reasons it's unfair to expect to be able to withdraw something you've said in conversation.
It's also hard to square the circle of this on a practical level using the most ethical release methods. Any artist is also a consumer, and any consumer wants to own the things they've purchased. I can't expect to be able to own my favorite comics and also be able to take away ones I've released.
Oh yeah. Once sold I agree with you. I’m thinking of the decision to no longer sell something. Do those who never purchased it then have a moral right to be able to pirate it? (Like pirating a very old game). For a corp, yeah. For an individual, hmm. What if it no longer represents you?
To be honest, I don't have a huge qualm with the idea of something not being sold anymore. Selling something requires effort, and it's not reasonable to expect anyone to expend that effort onto eternity. When it's reasonable to start pirating an unavailable work is honestly a case-by-case judgement.
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