I read a lot of work-related books (and technical papers) per year, but I get very little time for enjoyable reading so I probably only manage about 3-5 'fun' books a year.

As far as individual rights go... Why doesnt that door ever swing both ways?

I would be happy to pay any author for any good material, books, music, video, movies, whatever... I dont care how old it is, if its worth watching or reading, I am happy to pay.

But I DONT think we should be paying for the slop that generally passes for "entertainment" these days.

So if I were King of the World there would be a new law.... NO ONE pays for books, movies, music, or television until AFTER they have consumed the entertainment. If you like it - you pay. If you dont - you dont pay.

Individual rights means everybody. Not just the authors. And living in an age where a great deal of "entertainment" is so brutally mindless, I think we should be voting with our dollars. THAT might wake up Hollywood, Authors, Wrtiers, and the present lot of purveyors of the crud that passes for "entertainment".

Most businesses operate because of quality of their product - so why not media. That would raise standards, generate more good stuff (instead of brainless crud), and raise the level of everyone. Most of all, it would squelch the continuing dumbing-down of the American consumer and THAT would be one giant step for our current state of affairs in media.