‘The enemy is us’
p2pnet.net News:- What would happen if Microsoft and the entertainment industry cartels put their heads together to discuss online file sharing, a practice yet to be proved seriously detrimental to the major movie studios, record labels or software makers but which all three claim is having a disastrous effect on their businesses and bottom lines.
Bill Gates having a tete-a-tete with MPAA boss Dan Glickman, say? An alarming prospect. But why not? The former owns the world’s largest monopoly, which talks to government direct, and the latter works for an enforcement organization owned by the world’s most powerful global communications entities who’ve insinuated themselves into the hearts of administrations everywhere.
“The other night, I was at a dinner for Bill Gates,” says Glickman in a Q&A with eWeek. “Microsoft invited me to come. There’s all sorts of opportunities where we can work together and talk.”
Are you talking to any companies besides Microsoft? – asked eWeek.
“Yes,” Glickman replied. “We as an organization are talking to all the companies.”
Including TiVo?
“Yes. As a matter of fact, at the Consumer Electronics Show, I met with the TiVo people. There’s no reason not to meet with them. I don’t think a lot of people understand the television aspect of the motion picture business [Most TV shows are produced by the studios].
“It’s like the old Pogo thing: We have met the enemy and it is us, so to speak. Who would have thought that ‘them’ would become ‘us’? Television – and it’s not just television, it’s all sorts of delivery systems to the individual – are all now part of our world, and they weren’t years and years ago.”
Interesting point, allowed eWeek, going on, “When you talk about MPAA, you’re talking about people who are used to selling large packages of content to people. We’re moving into a one-to-one world, and TiVo allows me to record a program, not necessarily watch a channel.”
The concept of time shifting generally, “that’s obviously an enormous change, particularly for the television and broadcast part of this business,” said Glickman.
“Modern technology, digital technology will allow the consumer to do an awful lot of things that are inconsistent with the historic mode of how broadcast television was created. It’s just an enormous challenge for people in this business. That’s why so many of them have gone into multiple businesses.”
However, Grokster v MGM provided the reason for the Q&A so what did Glickman have to say on that?
“The decision will come out sometime near the end of June [the Supreme Court adjourns at the end of June and issues its opinions before that date],” he said. “And then we’ll see. No body knows exactly what the decision is. Obviously, we’re getting ready to anticipate that, both offensively and defensively, as I’m sure some in the tech community are doing as well.
“We’re waiting to see what it is and then to see what, if any, remedies are needed or desirable, either in the legislative context – more than likely there will be a strong look at that – but I think the marketplace will be the main place where a lot of this stuff is decided.”
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See:-
eWeek - MPAA Leader Weighs In on Grokster Case, May 4, 2005
May 6th, 2005 at 1:36 am
You don’t need to ask what happens when monopolies like Microsoft and the old-media content industries come together. They are who effectively authored the 1996 WIPO treaties many of us have spent the last few years fighting against being implemented in Canada.
I suggest reading the TCPA FAQ
http://www.againsttcpa.com/tcpa-faq-en.html
If that “brave new world” of giving up control (effective ownership) over all electronic communications tools to these cartels scares you as much as it does me, there are many things you can do.
a) Help fight changes in Canadian law via http://digital-copyright.ca
b) Join various consumer boycotts — don’t help fund the members of the MPAA/CMPDA, RIAA/CRIA, or BSA/CAAST who are all working together to create that very frightening world. In ever case there are alternatives that deserve our support, and who are helping us to stop the attack on our rights.
May 6th, 2005 at 2:01 am
“Modern technology, digital technology will allow the consumer to do an awful lot of things that are inconsistent with the historic mode of how broadcast television was created. It’s just an enormous challenge for people in this business. That’s why so many of them have gone into multiple businesses.”
Yes, it will be an enormous challenge for them to try and persecute and infringe upon the viewers and consumers rights in an attempt to dictate our daily lives and entertainment choices.