Silicon Valley vs. Hollywood: This Is War
from the watch-out dept
We've certainly been talking about file sharing and digital copying of content a lot around here, but here's a great article from Fortune that looks more closely at the position of both sides in the debate and includes some fantastic quotes. Since I've been clear on my bias before, I'll say that I think the article leans a little too hard to the Hollywood point of view, blaming Silicon Valley. I tend to find the Andy Grove quotes in the article dead on, while the Michael Eisner quotes leave out important facts. The article does put a bit more context on the debate, such as talking about how Hollywood was pretty much ignored by Silicon Valley for a few years until they looked to Washington to force a solution. I also think it says quite a bit that when they talk about the two sides working on a compromise they don't mention that the actual consumers were never invited to the party. We, apparently, have no say in how we're going to get to use technology and view content in the future.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
No Subject Given
Sales indicate theft? What is it about MP3 players that prevents users from uploading legal music to their devices?
"Think of the money Hollywood could rake in if it could come up with a way to safely distribute movies over the Internet. Think of all the people who would sign up for broadband and buy swifter computers if everything from Easy Rider to Dude, Where's My Car? were lawfully available online."
Why would I want to watch and movie in a 5 inch window on my computer when I can go to the theater and watch the same movie on a 40 foot screen or my television? I actually like to get out of my house even so often.
"While AOL doesn't endorse the bill, Parsons says, "There is a role for government to play here, but we think it's a narrow one of enforcing agreements hammered out in the marketplace."
Well... if AOL says the goverment should micromanage my life then they should. I feel the government should take away all freedom. This is the root of the problem. People continue to believe they have to think for themselves and to act free even if it is unpopular. Take away all the freedom and give the people a few govewrment/business approved things to say, do and feel and the world is a better place. More laws is definitly the way to go. Look at how blissful the heavily governed Middle East is.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Is this Piracy?
If I watch a movie over his house instead of buying/renting it for myself have I stolen from the industry? If I didn't go over my friends house I could have potentially rented or paid for that movie myself (this week or some other) but I choose to NOT send my money and go over his house and see the movie for "free". What should my fine be? Should I go to jail?
If we get a pizza and split it have we then stolen from the food industry? If I wasn't over he would more than likely bought his own pizza and I would more than likely have bought my own?
If I tell someone the surprise ending to a movie before they get to see and it prevents them from seeing it in the theater will I have committed a crime?
Pirates did not board ships and make copies of gold... they took it. Theft leave you without the item. If someone steals your car you will have no car. Someone copies your CD you will have a CD and they have a CD. Big difference.
If "piracy" goes on as it is the multi-billion dollar movie and music industry will disappear the same way that libraries crushed authors.
The problem is that the current mind set is that profits must always go up. If the industry puts in more money than it has ever this year then next year that will be the average. It must be beat. If they don't beat the average then it's because of Napster. It has nothing to do with the previous year being remarkable or the economy.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Is this Piracy?
I've bought two burners in the last six months and have never burnt a music cd.
I'm concerned about my 'fair use' rights of copyrighted material, which are already dissapearing
with the industry's half-assed, non-standard copy-protection schemes. Once it's '...going through everyones
cpu...' will the watermark protect my right to quote a snippit of a news article on this forum?
Don't count on it. These same jerks have given no thought to any of your rights up to now!
The movie industry is run by idiotic sociopaths. The entire industry has shifted from public favor.
In the 1930s and 40s THREE QUARTERS of all Americans went to see a movie ONCE A WEEK!
The decision makers of the entertainment industry are doddering fools with one foot in the tar pit already.
Hollings, too.
What we're going to end up with here is very predictable:
1.) Stupid legislation emanating from stupid legislators who have shown that they will write any law
for a fast buck.
2.) Higher prices for computers and periferals that don't work as well.
3.) Increased intrusion into our private lives by turning the Federal Government into rent-a-cops for
the entertainment industry. (Read the bill!)
4.) The aforementioned mandated schemes will be broken in 3.75 days by a cracker. Does anyone remember
the very highly touted DVD protection scheme that was cracked with a 7 line PERL script?
Bear in mind that #4 will take place only after we have had to put up with the consequences of numbers 1, 2 and 3.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]