Category: Copyright

Seemingly innocuous request by RIAA

The RIAA has asked the FCC that network neutrality rules not prevent anti-piracy efforts.

“In these comments,” the RIAA wrote, “we encourage the FCC to stay its course and explicitly support, encourage, and endorse ISP efforts to fight piracy.”

At first blush, this appears to be an innocuous request, yet historically ISPs have had little responsibility for monitoring traffic for piracy. It’s only been recently that they have handed over subscriber information without a subpoena request. This will create a great cost for ISPs, with the potential effect of raising prices for consumers.

via RIAA: Net neutrality shouldn’t inhibit antipiracy | Media Maverick – CNET News.

Strengthen copyright, or else!

Michael Geist points to an article about US pressures on Costa Rica for copyright reform.  Truly unbelievable.

Within Costa Rica, the article reports that the copyright provisions in the trade treaty have set off a wave of student protests over what it means for education. Meanwhile, health officials are concerned that the provisions on pharmaceutical products “would bankrupt the public health system.” The response from the U.S. is important as well. It is delaying market access to sugar from the developing country until the copyright reforms are in place. Until that time, Costa Rican sugar producers will not be able to sell their product in the U.S.

via Michael Geist – U.S. To Costa Rica: No Sugar Access Without Copyright Reform.

DRM – Driving us to piracy?

Dan Wallach tipped me off to a Times article explaining Hollywood’s latest effort to get consumers to buy new DRM-wrapped videos. Danielle Levitas, an analyst at IDC, remarked “The market desperately needs this, but in some senses it is already moving past it toward rental of content over ownership.”

I think to most consumers of digital media, this is a bit of an oxymoron.  The studios will be the first to admit that they see consumers as only licensing content (especially digital)–never really owning it. Can one ever really own DRM protected content?  I may have a library full of DRM protected music in my iTunes library, but despite the move to iTunes plus, something interesting has happened. A number of songs I “bought” cannot be upgraded, even though they are available in the store.

With lousy customer service like this (…make that customer service based in restrictive copyright policies), is there any wonder consumers are becoming slow to “buy” DRM protected media. Strangely enough, those who download “unauthorized copies” of their media don’t have these sorts of problems.

Many will expect to get it free

Bono: ISPs should filter music, Steve Jobs should make cars.

Ars writes a scathing review of a Times Op-Ed by U2’s Bono. They take him to task for arguing for ISP filtering, despite the fact that concert revenue has been on the rise.

Bono makes one statement that grabs my interest:

The immutable laws of bandwidth tell us we’re just a few years away from being able to download an entire season of “24” in 24 seconds. Many will expect to get it free.

The funny thing about the “free expectation,” I would argue, is that it’s based on our collective media experience over time. We’ve been receiving shows like 24 and music by U2 for free for years via the airwaves, though it’s supported by advertising. One might even argue that a cable bill is much like an bill from an Internet Service Provider–a cable company simply provides a conduit into homes and does not (can not) block Maury Povich, Fox and Friends, or The Colbert Report simply because someone objects to the content.

Just because the post office technically could have opened letters, or ISPs technically could examine packets does not mean it should be done–especially to protect businesses that are more interested in their bottom line than quality content and customer service.