Tuesday, September 09, 2008

A question

RealNetworks wants to release a product that will create exact copies of DVDs that people can store on their computer. The copies will be DRMed to the point of uselessness, or certainly to the point where they will be less valuable than the original.

But we seem to be slowly moving towards the original, moderate position that copyfighters have always argued: there needs to be a personal exemption to copyright law, and working towards copyright maximalism is nonsensical in the digital age.

So the question: why have we wasted the last 10 years in a futile war against teenagers and their computers, again?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Because we're very thick?

Anonymous said...

Because no one holds on to his business model harder than a buggy whip manufacturer who has just seen his first automobile?

--NonyNony

Flocons said...

There's no better PR for the music and movie industry than hauling away 10-year-olds in handcuffs or suing them for millions of dollars. Good job music and movie industry! Keep on making the world safe.

Declan said...

"why have we wasted the last 10 years in a futile war against teenagers and their computers, again?"

I'm going to assume that was a rhetorical question.

If not, please see this link on the U.S. balance of trade on intellectual property.