Warner Bros. Wants You To 'Buy' Movies Instead Of Rent... And By 'Buy' It Means Spend More To Still 'Rent'
from the that's-not-buying dept
We pointed out that the early reviews of Hollywood's new UltraViolet DRM aren't particularly good, but the industry is still pushing forward with the idea. Leading the way is Warner Bros., who is trying to turn the movie-based "social network" it bought a few months ago, Flixster, into the central hub for your movies. The NY Times has an article about it, where it repeatedly claims that the strategy is all about trying to get people to "buy" movies again, rather than just rent them via Netflix of Redbox. Of course, I find this pretty funny, because nothing about UltraViolet is about actually "buying" anything. You're still renting -- and if things ever went to court over, say, your first sale rights to resell a movie you "purchased" using UltraViolet, you can bet that Warner Bros. would be first in line to claim that the license shows you're merely renting the movie, and not buying it. It's just that you're renting it on an open-ended timeline, basically until the studios bail on UltraViolet and shut down the servers.Rob Pegoraro, in commenting on the article, notes that oddly, the article doesn't even mention DRM in talking about why people don't want to buy from the studios or the fact that it's still much more convenient to get the content by unauthorized means. But that concept still hasn't reached the brain trust at Warner Bros., who seems to insist that as long as you can access the movies you "bought" from anywhere, people will prefer that to file sharing. While it's great that they're at least trying to add benefits, to make it more valuable and worth paying for, the whole thing smacks of someone's father trying to "act cool" for his kids' friends. Warner Bros. still doesn't seem to understand why people like things like Netflix: the convenience. Everything about Ultraviolet sounds inconvenient, and that hardly makes anyone want to "buy."
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Filed Under: copyright, dvds, flixster, licenses, movies, purchases, rentals, ultraviolet
Companies: flixster, warner bros.
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Any company that drools over past glories is doomed to find that technology, the marketplace, and consumers tend to forward. The next profitable market lies in the future, not the past. Any company that tries to drive the market backwards is destined to miss the next big thing.
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Re: Oh?
What if the next big thing is transcribing DVDs to VHS-tape and then time traveling back to when the VCR was king and selling future-movies for an obscene price?
Now that's a business model! We'll only need a time-machine...
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Re: Re: Oh?
Col. Sandurz: Private, get me the cassette of Spaceballs the movie.
Private: Yes, sir!
DH: Col. Sandurz, may I speak with you please?
Col. Sandurz: Yes, sir?
DH: How can there be a cassette of Spaceballs the movie? We're still in the middle of making it!
Col. Sandurz: There's been a new breakthrough in home video marketing. Instant cassettes! They're out in stores before the movie is finished.
DH: Nah!
Private: Here it is, sir! Spaceballs!
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Re: Re: Re: Oh?
Streaming on steroids!
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Re: Re: Oh?
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Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
They're still using the same old business model (of illegal monopoly), and raking in tens of billions at it. Do you think that Microsoft will convert to the "free" model, give away the OS and "sell scarcities"? If not -- and it IS not -- then why won't DRM and enforcing copyright work for movie biz same as does for Microsoft? (And don't try that Microsoft has a stream of new products: so does movie biz.)
The existence / ungodly success of Microsoft disproves not only Mike's notions of needing "new business models", but also much about the "free market" insuring that the best products succeed and that price in mass markets approaches "marginal costs".
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Re: Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
You, sir, have a special mind.
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Re: Re: Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
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Re: Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
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Re: Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
Do you mean like how they took Microsoft Office - one of the most profitable segments of the company - made it free online, dropped the price on their home & student editions, and focused on selling enterprise solutions?
Because yeah, they did that...
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Re: Re: Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
This is the trend in the world of IT IP. They offer a service and support it through other revenue streams. Some of their argument is to make things more convenient (aka The Cloud).
The entertainment IP crowd are having difficulty with the 'other revenue stream' part of it, even though radio and TV played that game for a long time (aka advertising). The VCR taught them a lesson about convenience they are now denying.
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Re: Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
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Re: Re: Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
Yep, and Microsoft create an OS for all of those! Funny how their marketshare drops when competition arrives, but that's not a bad thing for consumers.
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Re: Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
Actually, while not specifically giving away the OS, Microsoft is giving away Microsoft Office. There are also ad-supported versions of it. So Microsoft is essentially giving away for free (in two variations) their second largest product. Also, this isn't an "old" version of Microsoft Office. No sirree, this is Microsoft Office 2010. The most current version available.
Also, this "free" model you speak of is actually incorrect. I don't think Mike has ever advocated for "give it away and pray". In fact, I'm pretty sure he recently said that's a dumb idea. What he has advocated for is adding extras to entice customers. The extras can be anything and everything. From throwing in a poster and t-shirt with a cd. To a Q&A session with the director and writer of a particular movie when you see it in a specific theater. Things like that.
Of course, it's much easier to ignore the proper answers Mike (and others) give and misquote them when you're just trying to shoot down what they say in the first place.
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Re: Re: @"fogbuzd": How does this apply to, say, Microsoft?
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Making a lot over "rent" / "buy", when neither apply.
"Buying" the movie would mean acquiring the copyright.
In between those is perhaps in need of a new word, though everyone except Mike and a few pirates understand that one isn't really "buying" a movie merely by downloading a file, DRM-ed or not. Sheesh.
Whole piece smacks of amateur reductionism. It's only by these weenie legalisms that Mike keeps going.
Here's an example of how easy this is:
"...it's still much more convenient to get the content by unauthorized means" -- SEE? Mike doesn't at mention that those "unauthorized means" are ILLEGAL! He favors "piracy"!
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Re: Making a lot over "rent" / "buy", when neither apply.
Buying access to a copy is closer to what UltraViolet provides.
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Re: Re: Making a lot over "rent" / "buy", when neither apply.
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Re: Re: Re: Making a lot over "rent" / "buy", when neither apply.
Really copyright should last 30 seconds than nothing in there would be a problem, who can abuse a law in 30 secs?
Computers can but there are no computers with the power to Judge anything so I don't believe it would be a problem in the near future, maybe for future generations LoL
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Re: Making a lot over "rent" / "buy", when neither apply.
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Re: Making a lot over "rent" / "buy", when neither apply.
Seriously, your example (by its self) has value in the conversation. You've proved from time to time you can make intelligent contributions to the conversation and I look forward to those comments.
Verbally assaulting Mike for giving us something to talk about is childish and displays a desire to derail the whole conversation. I would think that you would want to know what is important to the other side of the argument/discussion. At least it makes you more informed and possibly a better decision maker.
I am not the enemy. While I tend (Not always.) to disagree with the basics of the discussions held here with you, I have come to recognize that what you have to say can be important. So I watch for that.
I want to retain my basic rights and freedoms that the laws now hold for me and my children. I want content creators to get their due and I want tech to continue to innovate. (i.e. Tapes to MP3 to steaming media to digital lockers where I can put my legally obtained media, so I can use it anywhere in the world.)
I also want, obviously, content creators to continue to make content so I can enjoy it. I have proven over my lifetime that I am willing to pay a reasonable price for content that is easy to use on my devices. (Can some one please get rid of those very annoying FBI warnings!?)
End of my rant. Carry on smartly.
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Re: Making a lot over "rent" / "buy", when neither apply.
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Re: Making a lot over "rent" / "buy", when neither apply.
umm... it's Warner Bros. calling it buying - and Mike pointing out that it is not, in fact, buying.
How did you read this post and get the EXACT OPPOSITE of what it said out of it?
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Re: Making a lot over "rent" / "buy", when neither apply.
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Re: Making a lot over "rent" / "buy", when neither apply.
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Here's some required reading on DRM
Of course, this won't stop the naive, the gullible, and the stupid from buying into it yet again, but perhaps those who are at least minimally educable will learn the lesson.
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"Lifetime warranty"
So you're saying this is kinda like getting a product from a company that tells you that it has a lifetime warranty. That is, the lifetime of the company-- not the product...
Honestly, server-based DRM needs an expiration date: "Guaranteed good until 2014".
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Re: "Lifetime warranty"
Damn, that's optimistic.
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Re: "Lifetime warranty"
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Re: "Lifetime warranty"
It's my understanding that a "lifetime" warranty would be for the lifetime of the purchaser, not the product. If it was for the lifetime of the product, then it would be the same as no warranty at all. To wit:
"Hello, this widget I bought last week won't turn on."
"Hmm. You're right, it looks dead."
"OK then, please fix it or replace it."
"Oh I can't do that - it's out of warranty!"
"What do you mean? I was told it has a lifetime warranty."
"Oh yes - but as I said it's dead - its lifetime is over!"
And in general, all warranties (lifetime or not) are limited by the life of the company - if the manufacturer goes out of business, who is left to honour the warranty?
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Plus, it sucks
And what's with the name? Are they using such an old computer that they can't use spaces in file names?
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Re: Plus, it sucks
They just think it sounds cool.
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Re: Plus, it sucks
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Re: Re: Plus, it sucks
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This is why I hope the physical disc doesn't go away
When I get a new Bluray disc (purchased legitimately or received as gift), I'm most likely going to rip it to my hard drive. That way, I get a true 1080P digital copy instead of that crappy VHS-quality digital copy that comes "free" in the bundle. My BR disc goes into storage for safekeeping. I've already paid for the disc and I'm using it as I see fit. I'm not putting it up on a torrent, or handing out copies to my friends. I'm just using it how I want since I paid for it.
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UV
Fix those issues, which is easy with current tech, and they got my money.
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My brain hurts.
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300.iso
30_DAYS_OF_NIGHT.iso
3_10_TO_YUMA.iso
ADJUSTMENT_BUREAU.iso
AGORA.iso
ALICE_W ONDERLAND_2010.iso
AVATAR.iso
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CLASH_OF_THE_TITANS.iso
DAYBREAKERS.iso
DOOMSDAY.iso
FROM_PARIS_WITH_LOVE.iso
G_I_JOE.iso
HAUNTED.iso
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INGLOURIOUS_BASTERDS.iso
JONAH_HEX.iso
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LOSERS.iso
MUTANT_CHRONICLES .iso
NINJA_ASSASSIN.iso
OUTLANDER.iso
PANDORUM.iso
PATHOLOGY.iso
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.iso
PREDATORS.iso
Quarantine 2 Terminal.iso
RED_RIDING_HOOD.iso
REPO_MEN.iso
ROBIN_HOOD.iso
SALT.iso
SHERLOCK_HOLMES_DISC_1.is o
SHUTTER_ISLAND.iso
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STAKE_LAND.iso
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TERMIN ATOR_SALVATION.iso
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010).iso
THE_CONTRACT.iso
THE_CRAZIES.iso
THE_FIGHTER.iso
THE_KILLER_INSIDE_ME.iso
THE_KINGS_ SPEECH.iso
The Mechanic(2011).iso
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The_Sorcerers_Apprentice.iso
THE_STRANGERS.iso
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THOR.iso
TRON_LEGACY.iso
TRUE_GRIT.iso
ULT RAVIOLET.iso
VANISHING_ON_7TH_STREET.iso
WANTED_2008.iso
WHITEOUT.iso
XMEN_FIRST_CLASS.iso
An ybody want to trade iso files?
When I say I don't use cyberlockers I'm not lying, when I say I don't use torrents I'm not lying, so unless those people can ban email, zip files, rar files, instant message apps, Facebook, etc they are screwed.
Make it pricier, make it difficult to use and a lot more people will just trade things among themselves.
The right price for their products is $0.20/month for all you can eat buffet if we are talking up to a thousand companies more than that and the price will need to drop fast.
Maybe that is what those companies really want with SOPA the power to destroy others so they don't have to compete with anyone is not really pirates, they are in for harming other business other content producers because they believe they can't fall from grace.
Warner just may be the one to show them, that it could happen to anyone. Ford also couldn't believe others could produce something Americans would want they were wrong.
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Re:
Think about this one: the only reason you even downloaded those shitty movies is because of marketing.
Fuck Hollywood trash. Call me and I'll hook you up with some real movies made in the East.
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Re: Re:
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Re:
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Ultraviolet
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370032/
I won't get into the whole Ultraviolet light area for example, but Naming your new Movie format after a Movie that came out in 2006 seems wrong to me. Strange? Copy Cats?
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