13 Dec
2002
13 Dec
'02
11:27 p.m.
Wayne M. Smith wrote:
You're right. The record companies have been very slow to adopt new
distribution platforms, and for this they should be roundly criticized (but not
stolen from). DVD Audio is a good example of a largely unexploited medium, with
thus far an uncracked encryption scheme.
I understood his point, but I don't agree
that the studios/record
companies are obligated to do anything or face having their content
stolen.
It's of course true that they have no legal or moral obligation to change
their business practices to avoid having their content copied without
authorization (*) (**). However, as a purely practical matter, it may
well be the case that the record companies DO need to change their
business model.
Record companies are becoming increasingly irrelevant because it is now
possible for bands to market their product directly; the middleman
function provided by the record company offers substantially less value
now than in the past. If you combine this with the idea that they may be
losing money to unauthorized copying (***), and that it is unlikely
that law enforcement can prevent unauthorized copying by individuals
(as opposed to large-scale unauthorized copying as a commercial venture),
it's pretty clear that simply relying on the legal system to prop up
their business model is not a viable option.
Eric