Christopher Gizzi 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Where Record Labels Ran Into Trouble: Monoculture

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 21 Dec, 2010 @ 12:48pm

    Look Higher

    Don't just look at the music (or recording) industry and say they're in a monoculture. Look higher and you'll find they already have diversified.

    Take Sony, for example. Under the umbrella of Sony comes Sony Music, Sony Pictures, Sony Television, etc. NBC Universal is similar.

    Shifts in music shouldn't affect the group as a whole because TV or movies would do well enough. Add game studios and other entertainment companies and you've got a diversified portfolio.

    I guess they'll all have to get into the bandwidth game a la Comcast/NBC and double dip that way: sell the content and the bandwidth to download it. Its their old business turned into the information age equivalent.

  • On the post: Homeland Security's 'Evidence' For Domain Seizures Also Included Songs Sent By Labels

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 20 Dec, 2010 @ 10:27am

    No Hands At All

    Remember how YouTube removes videos from artists due to a complaint from the copyright holder when it was the artist or the official account for that artist posting them?

    How can anyone expect one hand to talk to the other?

    The RIAA and MPAA must be the biggest ponzi scheme of them all. Get your clients to sent content to websites in the hopes of promoting sales then argue there's piracy on the web robbing them of their revenue.

  • On the post: Yet Another Court Explains To The Obama Administration That The 4th Amendment Means You Need To Get A Warrant

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 16 Dec, 2010 @ 07:46am

    Change... not for the better.

    Is it me or does it seem that the Obama administration has done more harm to our Constitutional rights than the past presidents? With all the treaties and laws being discussed that increase IP laws, unreasonable search tactics at airports, due process violations, and blatant censorship, it seems as if I'm less free than I was 2 years ago - and I was less free then as opposed to 8 years before.

    Does anyone have an example of Obama fighting for our rights? You would think the EFF and ACLU would be filing less lawsuits against the government but it seems as if they're pulling double time keeping up with the craziness.

    I'm a little shocked and disappointed his administration is taking such an anti-consumer, anti-rights stance.

  • On the post: FBI 'Thwarts' Another Of Its Own Bomb Plots

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 09 Dec, 2010 @ 08:27am

    Would Be

    Its as if the FBI equates "would be if" terrorists equally with actual threats. A "would be if" person is someone who would be something if they could only... Otherwise, they're normal people who don't act on anything. They complain, maybe, but never enough to do something.

    Throw the keys to a Lamborghini to someone who can only afford a used Pinto and say have at it... they're going to take you up on your offer. They now have that opportunity they wouldn't have otherwise had.

    The FBI profiles the wrong people. They assume that all wanna bes are equal threats. If they feel someone is talking the talk - investigate. But if they don't have the determination, means, or connections to carry out something serious... monitor but don't waste real resources on an arrest that takes their eyes off the real ball.

    But maybe that's why they're the "Intelligence" and I'm not.

  • On the post: NIH Won't Let Others Supply Life Saving Drug Even Though Genzyme Can't Make Enough

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 08 Dec, 2010 @ 08:08am

    At some point...

    At some point, affected groups are going to take more proactive steps to get the medicine they need. I can understand why people would want to petition to get the drug approved - its a nice way of dealing with a bad situation. it didn't work and an appeal on the petition isn't likely to do much either.

    But if I knew someone affected by Fabry disease, I'd sue the NIH for negligence. By passing on the petition, they acted negligently which contributed to the continued suffering and death for thousands.

    I hate legal remedies like that - its not supposed to be this way - but since playing nice didn't work, its one time I hope they force others into action.

  • On the post: Just As Record Labels Resented Apple For Dragging Them Into The Internet Age, Movie Studios Resenting Netflix

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 06 Dec, 2010 @ 07:17am

    Re:

    I disagree. It's the service. Subscriptions are simple and easy. One price, one product. You choose your plan and that's it. Simplicity is part of the service.

    Second, their customer service is fantastic. If they nickel and dimed their customers, they wouldn't be so successful.

    Third, they designed their interface to be as simple and user friendly as possible. Their APIs let 3rd party developers create their own interface - which adds value to the service.

    Fourth, the convenience; it's also a part of the service. Streaming is on demand - a service people love which adds value. But the queue is a fantastic way to "set and forget." Add movies as you can and they're sent in that order. There's little thinking involved. If a title is rented out, the next movie in line shows up. No fuss, no lines, no travel time, no store clerks to deal with, no stress. Easy. Valuable.

    Netflix loves the subscription method because its constant money. Blockbuster has to kick, scream, and fight for someone to walk into their (expensive to maintain) stores. Target, Best Buy, and others - including Amazon - have to do the same to get buyers. They don't get a constant revenue stream from customers and its easy to see why Netflix has had an easier time of it. The whole business model is setup for success.

    And as long as their service is the best, people will pay reasonable fees to them. And I would venture there are plenty of users who willingly pay more than $15 a month. BTW, does anyone know if Netflix discloses their average subscription dollar amount in their 10k filings? I'm sure it could be calculated if it isn't.

  • On the post: Just As Record Labels Resented Apple For Dragging Them Into The Internet Age, Movie Studios Resenting Netflix

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 04 Dec, 2010 @ 10:20am

    Netflix Gets It

    I always thought Netflix really new how to build and grow a business. Having watched them from their early days (and as a customer myself), it seemed as if they knew they were the underdogs and worked hard to organically acquire customers. I got impatient with the lack of streaming knowing full well it probably wasn't their fault with the licensing issues and all. Fast forward a few years to today where I can get Netflix on my iPhone, iPad, & PS3.

    But what impresses me now is how Netflix still operates with the customer in mind. From their algorithm contests to the multi-platform streaming options, they make sure they're the best at what they do. And just this morning, I read that Netflix spends a lot of time and money on interface design and custom programming to ensure a great product. They experiment and try new things.

    The article is here: http://mashable.com/2010/12/03/netflix-html5/

    The reason they succeed is because they try new things and have the user in mind.

    The reason the labels fail is because they don't care about the user as much as they care about more ways to control.

  • On the post: Woman Claims Legal Loophole Means She Now Owns The Sun… And She Wants You To Pay Up

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 03 Dec, 2010 @ 07:33am

    Thought of the Newspaper

    HAHAHA!

    When I read the headline, I thought of the UK gossip mag/newspaper/tabloid The Sun and thought she might have found a loophole with their domain registration or incorporation filing or something.

    Silly me for thinking that instead of the star.

  • On the post: Nicaragua Accidentally Invades Costa Rica, Blames Google Maps

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 05 Nov, 2010 @ 09:35am

    Next time... blame the GPS device.

    And just say it told you to zig when you should have zag'ed.

  • On the post: Warner Bros. So Thrilled With Netflix 28-Day Delays, It Wants To Have Longer Delays

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 03 Nov, 2010 @ 01:50pm

    Re: Re: Why Windows Don't Work For Me

    Then the title would have been Windows Doesn't Work For Me or Won't work. Its all in the grammar. It would also say that Windows doesn't work for anyone... period. :-P

  • On the post: Warner Bros. So Thrilled With Netflix 28-Day Delays, It Wants To Have Longer Delays

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 03 Nov, 2010 @ 01:30pm

    Why Windows Don't Work For Me

    First, I don't buy DVDs much at all anymore. They take up too much space in my apartment and I almost always watch a movie once or twice ever. If I buy a movie, its for a really good movie that's destined to be a "classic."

    If I'm looking for something to watch, I'm going to use my delivery method of choice to find something. I'm not looking for a specific movie per se. I'm looking for something to fill time - almost anything will do. I have no intention of buying this movie and wouldn't "rent" a movie I want to buy. I'm not going to Blockbuster or even RedBox because that requires me to actually get up out of my chair and spend energy on travel.

    So I'm going to stream. But because I don't care about the latest releases (again... just passing time here), I don't care how long the window is. If a movie isn't available on Netflix Streaming (or even as a DVD for that matter) I won't know the difference - or care. Plus, the "window" just changes the "release date" for people like me. Its no different than WB pushing back the actual sale back 30 days or whatever. The release date is relative and since movies are always getting released, I don't care that one title was delayed 28 days but available for stream vs some other movie thats in retail stores but not streamable. It will eventually so why should I care?

    The issue the movie companies are facing is indifference to the effort needed to see a movie. Who wants to go to Target or Best Buy, pay $30 plus for a movie, stand in a long line, greeted by unskilled "employees" where I'm usually treated poorly, and have to walk or take the subway home to enjoy what I just spent an hour or more buying something I'm only going to watch twice if that.

    I suppose this long rant was to say that instant gratification is what people want. If they can't give them that or delay titles, that's fine. They'll find alternatives to the content they want with legal streaming or the actual content they want through less than legal means.

    If they want to use windows, fine. It won't change the way people are consuming content in their homes at all.

  • On the post: Texas Supreme Court Cites The Wisdom Of Spock On Star Trek

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 29 Oct, 2010 @ 10:26am

    Ethics & Morality

    In my studies of ethics and morality in college, one of the things we discussed was this very concept and how it affects societal beliefs. Those beliefs almost always translate into interpretations of the law. Its not unreasonable to think that the concept of majority rule & opinion - no matter who embodies them with quotes and sound bites - would be the most moral and ethical way of problem solving and decision making.

    I also like how a Texas court (I know, not THAT court) references transformative works to prove a point.

    And FWIW, I think if Spock's logic were applied to many of the topics we discuss here, we wouldn't have many problems to discuss.

    Also, I'm not a Star Trek fan... just in case anyone was wondering if I'm a Trekkie; I'm not. But I greatly appreciate the discussions I had in college about the "greatest good for the greatest number of people" constructs that were proposed by the early Greek philosophers.

  • On the post: Hadopi Already Up To Sending Out 25,000 'First Strike' Notices Per Day

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 25 Oct, 2010 @ 08:14am

    Re: Re: 50K angry customers a day

    Freetards? What are we? Third Graders? It would be nice if you came to the discussion with civility.

    But beyond your childish name calling, they are customers... they are lost customers. They are people you failed to convince your content is worth paying for. Offer value and, more often than not, they'll buy. You have to earn your paying customers with respect good value for their hard earned dollar.

    You're competing against a diverse amount of global content; the competition for a persons time and money is fierce and you can't waste your efforts pissing people off. You won't convince anyone to buy your wares that way.

    You certainly deserve to earn a living; no one says you shouldn't. But with your name calling, its going to be hard for you to earn a living.

  • On the post: Fox Extends Cablevision Blackout To Hulu… Temporarily

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 18 Oct, 2010 @ 07:27am

    Fox.com, too?

    I heard that News Corp also blocked Cablevision customers from getting to Fox.com. Since Fox does offer updates on its programming via their website - perhaps for MLB coverage or for their regular broadcast shows, blocking Hulu wouldn't be enough.

    I'm a Cablevision subscriber and didn't test it out over the weekend. If they blocked all of fox.com for Cablevision users, would that be a "net neutrality" issue?

    And on a side note, I seriously wish we could get a-la-cart cable sometimes. I know there are good and bad points to it. But I'd seriously love a breakdown of my per channel costs. If Cablevision published that list, people could compare the before and after price of a Fox cost increases, they'd know where their money goes and could make a choice.

  • On the post: US Gov't Relying On 'Narcissistic Tendencies' To Get People To Accept Facebook Friend Requests To Spy On You

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 15 Oct, 2010 @ 12:13pm

    Nothing Better To Do?

    If really true, I can't believe we spend our tax dollars to have someone friend random people on Facebook. Can't they get the information they want some other way?

    And if someone ignores their friend request, do the Feds get a warrant? Is that reasonable suspicion of a crime or obstruction of justice? Tampering with an investigation?

  • On the post: Obvious News Is Obvious: Polls That Only Call Landlines May Be Biased

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 14 Oct, 2010 @ 02:39pm

    Dewey Defeats Truman

    That is all.

  • On the post: Warner Bros. Claims That Annoying Customers With 28-Day Rental Delay Is Working

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 06 Oct, 2010 @ 02:56pm

    Re: Why are you complaining?

    That makes no sense to me.

    First, you're in marketing so its easy to just dismiss everything you say as spin and conjecture. And you don't understand your audience so your idea is flawed; usually marketers what to get their product in the hands of as many people as they can. Windows limit consumption. Period. They are counter intuitive to what marketing wants.

    But beyond that, you're actually saying that increasing your costs (by hiring people) just to "educate" them on the movie being available for purchase is the way to a profitable business. Why would you increase your costs like that? You just hired over a million dollars in resources on top of your normal production costs (figure $80 to $125k base salary & double that for benefits). And its only going to net you a few sales, if that, because people will know it will be out on Netflix for rental or stream for free in a month.

    Those that want to buy the physical copy (or digital if they want) are going to do so with or without the window. Those who would never buy the DVD download illegally if they want it right away or wait for Netflix - 28 days in a queue of 100s of movies isn't going to phase ANYONE.

    So you just increased your costs and got nothing for it. Good job!

    Also, your promotion example ignores the fact the movie is already available for free on the internet. And streaming to a TV will happen with or without a coupon.

    Your job as a marketer is to get that movie to as many eyeballs as possible. Don't limit it by DRM, windows, targeted release partners, or whatever the heck they are.

  • On the post: Astronaut Sues Dido For Using His Photo In Album Cover

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 06 Oct, 2010 @ 08:53am

    More Importantly...

    Dido released an album in 2008? I thought she faded into obscurity.

    Oh...

  • On the post: RIAA Claims That If COICA Isn't Passed, Americans Are 'Put At Risk'

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 29 Sep, 2010 @ 10:10am

    Re:

    I'm not sure most Americans know this bill exists outside of a few tech-knowledgeable people. I also bet that most Americans don't equate speech on the internet to "free speech" at all - its that scary.

    Most parents fear the internet. "Think of the children!" they say. They don't realize how much we rely on the internet and they don't understand how much speech traverses it. And they certainly don't worry about losing something they take for granted.

    Sad.

  • On the post: Tim Berners-Lee Comes Out Against COICA Censorship Bill; Shouldn't You?

    Christopher Gizzi ( profile ), 28 Sep, 2010 @ 11:17am

    Re: Re: Re: Not Too Worried

    Its hard to respect a law that contradicts the 1st Amendment and goes against our very nature. If anyone really cared about "respect for the law" they wouldn't make ridiculous laws that cause people to lose respect for it. And no one is going to start assaulting random people on the street because they don't want to be censored and ignore content filters.

    That "reasoning" is just silly and I question your "logic."

    Sorry.

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