I believe there are some efforts afoot to ensure that artists share in the profits from resale of their works, especially where considerable profits are made, e.g. in oil paintings.

Perhaps a similar move will be made in the field of digital artworks?

As for myself, I have no problem about anyone making a profit from my or someone else’s work (as long as they have already paid for that work). I feel it is up to the artist or their agent to determine how much effort they will expend to maximise the sale price of their work, but once sold, no further entitlement should exist for a share in resale profits (unless perhaps a share in loss also exists).

One can always sell 90% of something, i.e. leaving a 10% charge in the sale contract. This would allow the vendor to retain a 10% share of the property and enjoy 10% of profits on sale. However, to make this compulsory would violate the vendor’s human rights to sell 100% of one of their products.

I have no problems with copying. Profiting from someone else’s creativity is a different matter, though.

To me, it’s about who gets paid. And that should be everyone involved in the act.

The thing is, there’s nothing ethically wrong with copying (it’s suspension by copyright is just a revenue mechanism, an unethical one), but there is something wrong and disrespecful about taking the credit for someone else’s work (even if by implication through omission of attribution).

Copyright needs to be abolished so artists are free to copy each other and uninhibited about giving each other the respect and credit they deserve.