Re: [dvd-discuss] More Copy Protection

[Noah silva <nsilva(at)atari-source.com>]

> Take it a step further "Radio Napster"  -- a nationwide broadcast
> network (sattelite?) which provides (through broadcast, or internet) the
> meta data necessary for the listeners to automatically edit the songs
> out of the broadcast stream.  By breaking up the day into "format"
> hours-- it would be legitimate to time shift the "techo-hour" from
> 12noon to whenever, but would it still be legal if the means to build a
> personal library where so well integrated?  What would be the
> bright-line test between an open-source playlist logging project and
> "Radio Napster?"  (Anybody at a college radio station want to try this?)

I always wondered myself why people could bitch so much about napster,
while the radio is ok.  Because of commercials?! right.. and tivo should
be illegal because it lets you "steal" tv by not watchign the commercials.
I wonder if these people realize commercials are times I run to the
kitchen to make a drink, or go to the bathroom, etc.
 
> 
> The music companies keep complaining about free music (and then license
> their material for radio play).  So which is it -- you do, or don't like
> free music?  If the answer is "free" on the radio is OK... then we
> should push it 'til it breaks.
> 
> The ultimate goal in all of this.  A "first access" doctrine -- if I
> gain legitimate access to a copyrighted work... then all fair uses
> should be available to me.  This would kill rental and PPV business
> models -- or (more correctly) put them on a firm economic footing. 
> Currently rental/PPV models (as well as broadcast) are based on an
> artificially low price which assuming the customer cannot make post
> rental/post PPV access (or build a video library).  This also works to
> artificially inflate fixed media "sales" prices (as they account for no
> time shift/space shift copies as competition).  Econ 101, 201, and 210
> (intro, macro and micro) taught me that non-market pricing is a bad
> thing leading to misallocation of resources in the marketplace.  "first
> access" should fix these.
>

Here's something interesting:

During my stay in Japan, I noticed the prevelence of "Tsutaya", and other
CD rental chains.  What do you think would happen to me if I tried to open
up a CD rental shop here?  I thought so.  Why, how is it different from a
video rental shop.  Not only that, but they _encourage_ limited
piracy.  Every time I get to the checkout "would you like some MDs with
that sir?", as if it was fries.  Most japanese I know have a nice MD
recorder deck.  While the (simply broken) MD copy protection only allows
one generation, anyone can go rent CDs at $2 or so each and easily rent
them and dupe to another CD, or an MD.

I wonder if this is tolerated and encouraged because it drives sales of MD
decks and MDs, as well as getting $2 out of someone who might have just
downloaded it anyhow.  Sony is one of the big 5 media places, but they are
also the main producer of MD decks, etc.

anyone want to invest in dr.noah's CD rental shop?


 -- noah silva