Explanation
A. (Correct Response) Passage A discusses how social norms provide a way for comedians to protect their material and suggests that these norms are effective in offering some level of recourse against joke theft, which could help comedians recoup the costs associated with developing new material.
B. The passage does not advocate for an increased reliance on copyright law; instead, it suggests that social norms function effectively in lieu of formal legal protections.
C. The passage does not provide information regarding comedians’ concerns about the expenses of developing new material.
D. While Passage A does suggest that social norms are effective, it does not make a general claim about the efficiency of law-based systems versus social norms.
E. The passage does not suggest that copyright law should be modified, only that it is not currently providing effective protection for comedians, and social norms have stepped in as a result.
The passage indicates that social norms act as a stand-in for legal protections among comedians, allowing them to enforce their intellectual property informally and potentially recoup development costs.