AOL's Jekyll And Hyde Act
from the which-makes-more-sense dept
I've argued here over and over again that AOL Time Warner has acted ridiculously when it comes to file sharing. They're fighting against themselves. Now, Salon has an article looking at one specific instance where this is very clear. AOL refuses to take a side in the ongoing battle between Verizon and the RIAA. They can make an argument for either side. Supporting Verizon would be good for AOL - the world's largest ISP. Supporting the RIAA would be good for Warner Music, the world's largest music label. Or, at least, that's what the article states. I still think that the music labels are much better off actively encouraging file sharing. I think this is especially true in AOL-Time Warner's case, where doing so directly helps another area of their business while opening up new business opportunities for the whole company. In the meantime, though, the two sides fight against each other, making sure that both will suffer. The article also gives a good explanation of the specific issues at stake in this case, and the different interpretations of the law by Verizon and the RIAA.
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The Division..
If the old adage "A house divided can not stand" holds true, these inner disputes (over file sharing or otherwise) will only weaken the media giant. While digital piracy isn't the greatest threat to AOL Time Warner's survival, it may become the single, greatest example of the disparate nature of its two parts.
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