The finite resources aren't the final product, but the work that goes into it. Create Adobe Photoshop for me (not copy, but build from scratch).
"this is where the future is heading"
I no longer write applications. Everything I release is a service. In the past, there would have only been a one-time fee for my work, but now everyone needs to pay a monthly fee for it.
This is the result of piracy: monthly fees for everything.
Ultimately the most precious resource we have available is time - so I think that our economy should develop to a point where time is seen as the most valued currency.
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"I no longer write applications. Everything I release is a service. In the past, there would have only been a one-time fee for my work, but now everyone needs to pay a monthly fee for it.
This is the result of piracy: monthly fees for everything."
I think that a service based model is fair - because there are ongoing costs associated with keeping software available. Maybe the only time this model falls down is when a service stagnates and isn't developed past it's initial release.