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DRM Supporters Changing Their Story?
from the if-at-first-you-don't-succeed... dept
A few months ago, we wrote about why strong DRM supporters' argument that copy protection is somehow "necessary" for content creators didn't actually make much sense. It appears that even some of those DRM supporters are recognizing this as well. Ed Felten has noticed that supporters of stronger legal backing for copy protection laws have started to shift their argument, relying less on "stopping file sharing" (which copy protection doesn't do) and moving on to "it allows new business models" including things like price discrimination. He also claims that they're promoting how DRM helps support lock-in of customers -- which it does, but I've yet to hear that argument made as a positive reason for DRM. Even the price discrimination argument is a risky one, since even when it's more efficient, it adds in unexpected economic friction in the form of pissing people off. Though, as Felten points out, neither of these arguments (whether or not they make sense) have anything to do with copyright -- yet, supporters still seem to be focusing on bolstering protections for DRM within copyright law. It's great that these content providers want to introduce new business models, but there's no reason that those business models should need to get extra special legal protection.
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okay kids, lets go over this again
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Kicking consumers where it hurts.
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It used to be that in order to create a new business model, a corporation had to create a new product, new service, etc. Not any more. A more accurate way of saying "create new business models" in this sense would be "force people to pay us 5-10 times for what they used to pay us once for" or worse - "make people pay us to use the product they already bought."
It's as if I were a baker and paid lobbyists to get a law passed allowing me to not only charge you for the loaf of bread, but also charge you every time you make a sandwich. This would "create new business models" for me. Wanna make a BLT? Sorry, you've only bought PB&J rights. Please remit an additional $1.99 for 2 BLTs.
Frankly, it's theft and it's immoral.
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Re:
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Up to the consumer...
It's up to the consumer to change the business models of companies belonging to the RIAA and the MPAA.
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Re: Re:
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DRM
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Lock-in
This is soemthing that can be done if you are the only one available with no competitors.
AOL did it...until they failed...
Microsoft did it...until they failed...
Apple did it...until well... they never made it either...
So you see...
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They STILL don't get it...
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Time for a Reality Check
It will be many years before the entire rest of the market sells a billion dollars of downloadable music as unprotected mp3s. It may never happen.
The consumers have spoken. They like DRM.
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Re: Time for a Reality Check
Well there's a logical fallacy.
It's not that consumers "like" DRM. They like the convenience offered by iTunes and the compatibility with the iPod. They like the selection iTunes offers.
However, the limitations of Apple's DRM actually present a huge opportunity for a new entrant to come in and wipe out Apple's dominant position. So, concluding that consumer "like" DRM is a good way to miss the boat when tide shifts...
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Re: Re: Time for a Reality Check
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Not yet. But the more frustrated they become with having to deal with Apple, and the more they see the success of things like eMusic, the more they may rethink.
Besides, you claimed consumers *like* DRM, yet when we point out that's not true, you suddenly claim something different.
The point isn't whether or not it makes the LABELS happy. It's whether or not it makes consumers happy. And when you do something that adds friction, it's an opportunity for someone else to come along and get rid of that friction.
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To which I can only add an aphorism: Intellectual property is theft.
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Reality Check... Yeh You Need to...
Consumers want their music, and will pay for it, but not at the cost of being locked bs restrictions. Technology has moved us beyond the bs we used to have to just accept.
Apple would be 10x more successfuly if they'd get a clue.... same goes for the recording industry.
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