In the universe of the free (”free” as in beer), getting ripped off is the norm. Yes, many products and services are deliberately priced at zero these days, but a significant portion of consumers will gravitate to illegitimate free versions of not-free stuff.
Whether PC gaming is dying or not, one thing is certain: Piracy of PC games is a serious talking point for developers on either side of the debate. A growing number of developers big and small have become increasingly vocal about piracy rates for PC games. One developer, though, has finally put aside the complaints, the indignant state of mind, and is asking the pirates directly a simple question: Why?
The music industry should embrace illegal file-sharing Web sites, according to a study of Radiohead’s last album release that found huge numbers of people downloaded it illegally even though the band allowed fans to pay little or nothing for it.
This month’s announcement of a backroom deal between internet service providers and the big record companies to spy on suspected copyright infringers and reduce the quality of their Internet connections is just the latest paragraph in the record industry’s long, self-pitying suicide note, and it’s left me wishing they’d just pull the trigger already and [...]
For Warner Bros., the mission was to keep “The Dark Knight” from seeing the light of day. In an era of instantaneous digital copying and widely available high-speed Internet access, the premature and unauthorized release of a movie to the public–especially a coveted summer blockbuster–can spell disaster.
After scanning his textbooks and making them available to anyone to download free, a contributor at the file-sharing site thePirateBay.org composed a colorful message for “all publishers” of college textbooks, warning them that “myself and all other students are tired of getting” ripped off. All forms of print publishing must contend with the digital transition, [...]
“The Dark Knight” made a mind-warping, record-breaking $155.3 million at the box office over the weekend. Thousands of people waited hours in line to sit in a dark room and watch the movie with strangers. They didn’t have to wait in line, though–they could have watched it at home.
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To catch college students trading copyrighted songs online, the Recording Industry Association of America uses the same file-sharing software that online pirates love, an RIAA representative told The Chronicle at the organization’s offices during a private demonstration of how it catches alleged music pirates. He also said the group does not single out specific colleges in its investigations.
The Telecommunications and Internet subcommittee of the the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing today on H.R. 5353, the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008. The bill would establish an official national broadband policy, one that prevents service providers from subjecting lawful content to “unreasonable interference” or “discrimination.” It also calls on the Federal Communications Commission to assess competition in and consumer access to broadband Internet access in light of this policy. The testimony at the hearing, however, suggested that these provisions, and net neutrality in general, mean very different things to different groups. And, as far as the RIAA is concerned, Net neutrality legislation could hamstring the fight against piracy.
Newsflash, courtesy of PR agency Edelman: Young people don’t feel warmly about the music industry, presumably because they are harshing their mellow and trying to stop them from pirating music. Leave aside the dubiousness of a PR agency telling other people they have a PR problem, and take a gander at these supposedly damning statistics …
Sometimes you wonder how the folks at NBC Universal get anything accomplished, when they seem totally unable to accept responsibility for the market challenges they face and demand that everyone else fix NBC Universal’s business-model problems. Remember, NBC Universal has been the main supporter of the idea that ISPs should be responsible for stopping any unauthorized transfer of content. But why take chances on having just one outside party prop up your business model? Now, NBC Universal’s “chief digital officer,” George Kliavkoff, is saying that it should be Apple’s responsibility to stop unauthorized usage by building special antipiracy filters into iTunes.
“Content is king,” many people believe, meaning that films, television shows, music, news and information are more profitable assets than the technology used to deliver them. But there’s an older, cautionary aphorism that applies as well: “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” Content may be king, but, ironically, its perceived value today is being driven toward zero. In the eyes of consumers, content is becoming a commodity–more a commoner than a king.
In a brief filed in federal court Monday, Universal Music Group states that, when it comes to the millions of promo CDs that it has sent out to music reviewers, radio stations, DJs and other music-industry insiders, throwing them away is “an unauthorized distribution” that violates copyright law. Yes, you read that right–if you’ve ever received a promo CD from UMG, and you don’t still have it, UMG thinks you’re a pirate.
More than half of young people copy the songs on their hard drives to friends and even more swap CD copies, according to research that reveals the huge challenge home copying poses to a music industry already battling Internet file-sharing. Three decades after cassette decks first allowed people to make free music tapes for friends, a study by the industry group British Music Rights suggests home copying remains just as ingrained in U.K. culture.
Viacom continues to pursue a $1 billion lawsuit against Google’s YouTube for allowing video piracy. On Viacom’s Comedy Central, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone aren’t helping their corporate parent’s legal case. In last night’s episode, Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny asked themselves “How Do We Make Money on the Internet?” and predictably, [...]
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