The head of Universal Music France talked about just how much money was necessary to nurture new talent. DIdn’t Barlow understand economics? “If you’re spending $5 billion on new artists, we’re not getting our money’s worth,” Barlow cracked, and he reframed his argument in economic terms of scarcity and abundance. “Trying to optimize towards scarcity, as you are by all of your methods, is not going to be in the benefit of creation, I promise you,” he said. “It’s not IP enforcement that gets you guys properly paid.” In his view, payment comes from building a product that people actually want to buy—and the movie industry’s repeated record box office takes in recent years show that people have no problem coughing up the cash for something of value. “I am not against being compensated for what you do,” concluded Barlow. (via Copyfight: EFF co-founder enters e-G8 “lion’s den,” rips into lions
)