What dead horse? What are you talking about?

*hides cat o' nines behind back*

< rant class="rabid" >

It just seems like digital commerce is designed to screw the little guy. No, I didn't just realize this.

It's all about rights, right? Music is no longer purchased, the rights to use that music within certain parameters is purchased. Ditto most any media you can name.

Once the ownership of something and the thing itself become disassociated, anything can be purchased, and this leads to things like Disney buying the rights to "Happy Birthday". Since concepts are now commerce, ownership is easily centralized, prices easily fixed, etc.

Take photography, for example. It used to be that photographers owned their photographs, and sold them to clients for use in their advertisements. Now, large companies purchase the rights to thousands and millions of photographs, and sell the rights to their unlimited usage to tons of clients at prices that drive small photographers out of business.

You might argue that this would lead to a greater distribution of higher quality imagery. Not so. Image rights-management companies keep the good stuff, (Bill Gates's company Corbis owns the rights to all Ansel Adams's work as well as just about every other photographer you can name), and charge big, big bucks for its usage. Little businesses, who used to be able to afford original photography are forced to buy the bottom of the barrel crap.

OK, now I'm done. < /rant >

***

In less pedantic news, I've kinda finished... well let's just say I'm tired of fucking with my website and have finally put it online: www.agraybox.com.
Please direct all your influential friends there, where the mere sight of my completed work will compel them to hire me immediately and pay me lots of money.