To stretch your analogy:
It's not your employer who wants the copy. It's another company entirely. Your employer passes on the copy. The other company is happy, because they just got a month's worth of work for nothing. Your employer doesn't much care, at first. Sure, they got what they paid for, but then they start thinking that maybe next month they'll get a copy off some other company for nothing, and not need to pay you anything.
And you; well you're just screwed. Two companies are making money from the fruits of your labour, one without paying you a penny, and the another is planning on laying you off. I guess that serves you right for having an "obsolete business model".