In case it isn't clear, "people like me" and "people like you" refer to the hypothetical characters in the above paragraphs. I made you the "songwriter charact

In case it isn't clear, "people like me" and "people like you" refer to the hypothetical characters in the above paragraphs. I made you the "songwriter character" in order to try and get you to empathize with their position. As for the examples, the first three scenarios are based on the actual history of intellectual property as it pertains to music in the United States. The invention of player pianos led to the foundation of what is known as "mechanical royalties" in the music industry. That is, you can't say that you're just selling a roll of paper with holes in it and that you have the rights to all the profits, rather you have to license that song from the rights-holders. While my rhetorical approach might not have been the best choice, the points I'm making are not at all nonsensical and were not intended to be insulting.