Is this really a copyright problem?
posted by Lea Shaver
Modeling costs and revenues
In the comments to my last post, the skeptical Matt Lister asked a great question…
Say we agree there’s very little being translated into languages like Zulu and we agree that’s a problem. Is the problem that copyright makes it too expensive? Or is the real problem that translation or publication is inherently too expensive, given the limited size of these audiences and low ability to pay?
A theoretical model and some examples
It’s clear that the potential profits from Zulu translations aren’t sufficient to cover the costs. But those costs fall into lots of different categories: copyright licensing fees, the translator’s labor, distribution costs… etc. Would merely eliminating the copyright barrier be enough to tip the equation?
Let’s build a theoretical model first and then my research can look for data points…
P = potential income from book sales
C = costs of copyright compliance (including fees to the copyright owner, transaction costs of negotiating the license, and lawyer’s fees to handle copyright compliance and disputes)
T = costs of performing the translation (translator’s labor)
D = distribution costs (printing costs, shipping costs, overhead, leaving a profit margin for retailers, etc.)
For translated works to be produced, we would need to see that potential sales outweigh the copyright, translation, and distribution costs.
P > C + T + D
We can think about this equation as applying generally to works in a particular language market. Or more accurately, we can think about it applying to any specific work. If potential sales appear to be greater than costs, then the market should produce the work. So, let’s look at some specific works that the market is producing in Zulu right now…
February 4, 2013 at 1:52 pm
Tags: copyright, law and economics, local language limitations, publishing
Posted in: Intellectual Property, Uncategorized
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