2) Surely some company has a patent on the conduit idea. It makes too much sense, why hasn't it been done before?
Many large cities have conduits where various telecommunication and electricity providers run their cables. Sometimes, storm sewers are utilized to carry those cables.
Yes, because running a pipe below grade must be a unique idea that no one has thought of in the past thousand or so years and is worthy of protection.
I can't count how many CDs and LPs I recorded onto Maxell tapes during the 70s and 80s, especially during my four years at university. It expanded my musical horizons.
But during my university years, I visited the record store at least once or twice a week, usually buying something, sometimes based on the stuff I recorded on to the blank tapes.
The reality is that the cost of distributing digital goods is almost zero. So, yes, people (as in the demand side of the market) do have an expectation that it should be free or close to free.
There is no business model when you clients are no longer playing
Suggest you look at Google, Microsoft, Firefox, etc. They all offer free products and seem to be doing okay.
Except that bank robbers actually steal something, sometimes under the threat of deadly force. The owner of the thing that was stolen is deprived of its use.
Downloading something does not deprive the original owner of its use.
Tim: I agree that Tyler overestimates the importance of the recording industry while downplaying the importance of the internet and buying music online.
He may be a smart person, but Tyler seems confused when it comes to the recording and music industries. He called Radiohead an indie band despite having several platinum and multi-platinum records in the UK and despite being on a major record label.
Wal-Mart is in little danger of losing its dominance in the department store biz.
It's that kind of thinking and arrogance that does large companies in. K-Mart, IBM and GM all used to be dominant. Things change, and they can change quickly.
You'd be a fool to think a small player like Target or any similar are going to beat WM at the game they invented.
Really? Last I looked Target reported much better growth numbers than Wal-Mart. Who is the fool?
That's because some DRM/Copy protection schemes insert bad blocks that older DVD players have fits about it. My old APEX DVD player has issues with some newer DVDs - it skips around and sometimes pauses.
It is so rewarding to pay for a DVD (Costco always has some good deals) and then be treated like a criminal for playing the DVD in an older DVD player. This just forces me to rip the DVD with all the crap removed.
At worst, Microsoft was found guilty of monopolistic behaviour. Semantics perhaps, but a slight difference that is important.
As to Europe, well, anything American is an easy target. France has always looked at developing a French version of various Google services. Europeans are a funny bunch. Governments invest billions into Airbus, farm subsidies and so on, but have the nerve to file anti-trust suits against large American companies.
Think about the first thing that pops up when you insert a DVD? Ah yes, the good old Interpol and FBI warnings. Yes, the movies studios, instead of thanking you for spending your hard earned money on their product, want to remind you that they don't trust you and that copying is a punishable offence. What a way to treat customers.
And the facts seems to support that most people do not engage in en-masse bootlegging. Most people just want to be able to make copies of their DVDs so that they can put the originals away, safe from prying hands. A few less people want to convert them to other formats (PSP, phones, PDAs, Divx/Xvid, etc).
It happens with or without DRM, so why would a movie studio or record company waste their money on something that does not prevent copying and only decreases the value of a product?
The answer to your question is: You don't worry about preventing someone from making the content available online.
Despite the availability of 'free' music and movies online, people still buy music and movies and the record and movie companies continue to make money. The summer box office wasn't too shabby. How much did Transformers take in?
You have to keep mind that in the US, you could be voting for any number of political positions during one election. You could be voting for the President, Senator, Congressperson, Governor, Sheriff, even the local dog catcher.
On the post: Microsoft, Yahoo And Real Sued For Failing To Get All Necessary Licenses For Music Stores
Re: What is confusing?
Please explain how playing a recorded song is a performance? It's not. To pretend otherwise makes a mockery of the whole system.
On the post: According To WSJ, Google Not Just A 'Thief' But A 'Digital Vampire'
Re:
Incorrect. Straight from Google News:
"If you don't want your site to be included in Google News, please let us know and we'll remove it from our index.
Keep in mind that the removal process normally takes a few days and that your articles already included in Google News will expire after 30 days."
Says nothing about being removed from all indexes. Just the index for Google News.
On the post: How Can There Be Unauthorized Playing With Toys?
On the post: How Can There Be Unauthorized Playing With Toys?
On the post: If You Must Dig Up A Highway... You Might As Well Install Infrastructure For Fiber Optic Cables
Re: No! We can't have this!
Many large cities have conduits where various telecommunication and electricity providers run their cables. Sometimes, storm sewers are utilized to carry those cables.
Yes, because running a pipe below grade must be a unique idea that no one has thought of in the past thousand or so years and is worthy of protection.
On the post: Andy Kessler: Piracy Happens, Get Over It
Re:
I can't count how many CDs and LPs I recorded onto Maxell tapes during the 70s and 80s, especially during my four years at university. It expanded my musical horizons.
But during my university years, I visited the record store at least once or twice a week, usually buying something, sometimes based on the stuff I recorded on to the blank tapes.
On the post: Andy Kessler: Piracy Happens, Get Over It
Re:
There is no business model when you clients are no longer playing
Suggest you look at Google, Microsoft, Firefox, etc. They all offer free products and seem to be doing okay.
On the post: Andy Kessler: Piracy Happens, Get Over It
Re:
Downloading something does not deprive the original owner of its use.
On the post: Musicians Don't Need Venture Capitalists Any More
He may be a smart person, but Tyler seems confused when it comes to the recording and music industries. He called Radiohead an indie band despite having several platinum and multi-platinum records in the UK and despite being on a major record label.
On the post: Has Wal-Mart Lost Its Technology Edge?
Re: Are You Kidding?
It's that kind of thinking and arrogance that does large companies in. K-Mart, IBM and GM all used to be dominant. Things change, and they can change quickly.
You'd be a fool to think a small player like Target or any similar are going to beat WM at the game they invented.
Really? Last I looked Target reported much better growth numbers than Wal-Mart. Who is the fool?
On the post: Blu-Ray Glitches Illustrates DRM Pitfalls
Re: DRM
It is so rewarding to pay for a DVD (Costco always has some good deals) and then be treated like a criminal for playing the DVD in an older DVD player. This just forces me to rip the DVD with all the crap removed.
On the post: Websites Still Designed For People Who Don't Use Them
As best as I can tell, about 75% of the page is taken up by ads and other non-news items.
On the post: Small Companies Look To Move Antitrust Suits To Europe
Re:
As to Europe, well, anything American is an easy target. France has always looked at developing a French version of various Google services. Europeans are a funny bunch. Governments invest billions into Airbus, farm subsidies and so on, but have the nerve to file anti-trust suits against large American companies.
On the post: Even Movie Industry Execs Seem To Think The DMCA Is Unreasonable
Re:
On the post: Even Movie Industry Execs Seem To Think The DMCA Is Unreasonable
Re:
And the facts seems to support that most people do not engage in en-masse bootlegging. Most people just want to be able to make copies of their DVDs so that they can put the originals away, safe from prying hands. A few less people want to convert them to other formats (PSP, phones, PDAs, Divx/Xvid, etc).
On the post: Even Movie Industry Execs Seem To Think The DMCA Is Unreasonable
Re:
The answer to your question is: You don't worry about preventing someone from making the content available online.
Despite the availability of 'free' music and movies online, people still buy music and movies and the record and movie companies continue to make money. The summer box office wasn't too shabby. How much did Transformers take in?
On the post: Spying On Your Ex-Girlfriend Not Quite What Homeland Security's Database Is For
Re: Re: You Don't Know
/sarcasm off
On the post: Spying On Your Ex-Girlfriend Not Quite What Homeland Security's Database Is For
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: You Don't Know
It's quite telling that you would rather have laws protecting government employees not citizens from misguided prosecution.
On the post: What's More Important: Accurate Elections Or Fast Results?
Re: Weeks for a manual count ?
On the post: Playlist Patented... Everyone Sued... But Did Apple Pay Up?
Re:
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