When is comes to technology, the music publishing industry is like the airline business. It is more intent on protecting its current business model than innovating for the future. All it is really capable of doing is copying competitors and throwing its legal weight around a bit. Therefore it does not attract future minded people.
This can be generalized. Example: The rocket launch industry was once more intent on protecting its current business model than innovating for the future. Fortunately, what that does, is to create a market that is dramatically misaligned with what the price could be from first principles.
On the other hand, network effects with proprietary tech might be the great fatal flaw in capitalism that Karl Marx so desperately wanted to find. Once the creative destruction stops, stagnation then oppression takes over. Once capitalism no longer has sufficient advantage over the oppression of centralized control, there is no reason not to fall into centralized control. However, that result isn't utopian at all.
This can be generalized. Example: The rocket launch industry was once more intent on protecting its current business model than innovating for the future. Fortunately, what that does, is to create a market that is dramatically misaligned with what the price could be from first principles.
On the other hand, network effects with proprietary tech might be the great fatal flaw in capitalism that Karl Marx so desperately wanted to find. Once the creative destruction stops, stagnation then oppression takes over. Once capitalism no longer has sufficient advantage over the oppression of centralized control, there is no reason not to fall into centralized control. However, that result isn't utopian at all.