Sue Me, I Dare You
from the good-idea,-but... dept
A new company has launched, with a business idea that's just hankering for a lawsuit from the MPAA, or even Apple. TVMyPod is selling video iPods with preloaded content -- when somebody orders an iPod, they can also buy DVDs, which the company then loads onto the iPod before sending both the device and the original DVDs to the customer. There are plenty of services that will rip your CDs or other music into a digital format, so it's not surprising to see a similar service for video as well, since ripping DVDs can be time-consuming and difficult for the average user. Given the entertainment industry's dislike of fair use, and Apple's apparent objection to selling iPods that contain content, the clock's ticking on the first lawsuit. It's an old story, really -- a new business idea comes up, showing once again that people have an appetite to buy entertainment content in a format they find more convenient than what the movie studios or record labels currently provide. Chances are the companies will react in the same, way, too -- with lawyers, rather than any innovation of their own.
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I don't see the problem.. by whosawhat? on Nov 22nd, 2005 @ 12:38pm
All they are doing is selling an IPOD and DVDs and then for people that can't do it or have trouble, they load the DVDs for them.
How is this different then dell pre-loading microsoft office?
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Re: I don't see the problem.. by Mike on Nov 22nd, 2005 @ 12:42pm
Well, Dell gets a license from Microosft which lets them preload the software.
And, yes, while you would think that there shouldn't be anything wrong with selling and loading the content onto an iPod, we've already seen that the industry doesn't see things that way. To them, when you buy a DVD, you're buying a DVD -- not the right to transfer that content anywhere else.
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Re: I don't see the problem.. by whosawhat? on Nov 22nd, 2005 @ 12:52pm
That is a good point. What about a 3rd party consultant that installs office for you?
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Re: I don't see the problem.. by Happy user on Nov 22nd, 2005 @ 1:01pm
DVDs are useless without a means to "play" them. To make them useful, the content needs to be transferred to a "player" -- whether that be a Video player attached to a television, or a portable player with a built-in screen.
The issue is that they want to control which player is used to play the content with.
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Re: I don't see the problem.. by Clifford VanMeter on Nov 22nd, 2005 @ 1:06pm
The problem is that its not rally about the law, its really about extorting money either from companies like these that want to use the content, or from the public. The MPAA and TV execs would like to be able to charge us separately for each use of the content we buy -- that makes good business for them, but its bad for consumers.
Its also about lawyers, and having them in abundance and at your beck and call. Sony sued Conectix over the Playstation emulator that allowed the use of Playstation games on PCs. By the time the case was settled, Connectix had to pull the product or face bankruptcy. Sony didn't win, but a competing product was still eliminated. Lawsuits are cheaper than innovating and competing fairly in the marketplace.
They don't have to win -- they just have to hold out the longest.
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No Subject Given by Haggie on Nov 22nd, 2005 @ 1:20pm
When I buy a DVD, aren't I buying a "license" to play that DVD? And part of that "license" allows me to use it within the limitations of fair use which would include ripping the DVD and copying it to my video iPod. As long as the seller has bought a legitimate copy of the DVD and that is sold along with the iPod, how can Apple or the MPAA claim that they are being harmed? Apple was paid for the iPod and the studio got paid for the DVD.
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No Subject Given by fuzzmanmatt on Nov 22nd, 2005 @ 8:49pm
Apple Computer cannot sell an iPod with content on it as part of their agreement with Apple Records. The iTMS just barely keeps the agreement in mind. iPods, from Apple Computer, with content on them would be a blatant disregard for the agreement. Any other company selling iPods and content is a different thing altogether, and doesn't bother me at all.
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