[NEohioPAL] COPYRIGHT??-is it obsolete??

[Richard B. Ingraham]

-----Original Message-----
From: neohiopal-bounces at listserve.com
[mailto:neohiopal-bounces at listserve.com] On Behalf Of Ensemble Theatre
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 12:39 AM
To: northeast ohio arts community
Subject: [NEohioPAL] COPYRIGHT??-is it obsolete??


 
 
MOST of the folks who download whatever material there is available on
the Internet, have been led to believe that the Internet  is a giant
candy store, and they can have as many free samples as they like.
Likewise, everyone knows that everyone records performances. Eventually,
all the 'sharing' software will become illegal for copyright material,
and digital security signatures will prevent ANY illegal copying without
paying a royalty or fee.  
 

Become illegal?
 
Ummm...  it already is illegal!   :-)
 
Napster anyone?   They got their pants sued off and had to completely
change their business model.
 
The reason the sharing goes on is because there is no laws preventing
someone from creating the software that makes it possible.  I assume
that is what you meant would eventually become illegal.  The problem
with that though is that the same technology used to make illegal copies
is the same that would allow you to share or make legal copies of stuff
that is either in the public domain or is simply not copyrighted
material or copyrighted material that actually belongs to you or you
have a license to use.  A perfect example for my work would be sound
effect libraries that I have purchased a royalty free license for and I
am free to use them as much as I like in compliance with that license.
 
Of course the one rule about any soft of copy protection is that it can
all be broken.  As soon as "they" (they being all the various entities
that fight all the various forms of illegal coping) create something to
stop one type of coping....  another will pop up.
 
This is why I've always thought companies like Cakewalk Software (who
create professional audio software) had the best plan of attack.  They
never have really spent a whole lot of time and energy trying to fight
the illegal coping of their software.  Their registration method is
extremely simple compared to just about everyone else.  Instead they
spend their time making their product better.  :-)
 
If you want to download updates to their software or need technical
support, it's really easy for them to know if you are a legit user and
that is what you loose out on by not paying for what you're using.
 
Many small indie record labels (and some mainstream bands as well)
really understand how to make money in our modern world.  Heck the
Grateful Dead (or whatever they call themselves now) have been allowing
taping of their concerts for years and only made a small handful of
studio albums.  I bet they are doing just fine financially.  :-)    Who
knew they would be ahead of their times!  :-)
 
I'm not saying that's the only way to fight piracy, by only giving
public concerts and forgetting about studio albums.  But there is a lot
of ways to embrace the trends rather than fighting them.  Look how
popular iTunes is.
 
Maybe the rights holders for plays and musicals should be trying to
embrace the way the rest of the world works rather than fighting as the
record industry has for years.  I have no idea what that model would be,
but I would wager that there are some really smart folks out there that
could think of something.  Just "clamping down" on the "hand that feeds
you" just makes you look like a jerk.  :-)
 
In full disclosure...  I work for a software company part time that
creates lighting and sound products for the entertainment industry.
Guess what we spend a lot of time dealing with for technical support?
Yep...  our copy protection..   :-)
 
Richard B. Ingraham
RBI Computers and Audio
http://www.rbicompaudio.20m.com/


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