The above laws are supposed to be quite simply, means to prevent and punish copyright abusers. Piracy.
Stop Online Piracy Act, Protect Intelectual Property Act and the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement are supposed to prevent, and punish piracy. Because Authors deserve to be paid for their content.
What they are in current form, is a way to hunt down and punish anyone who downloads a music or movie form the web because it's getting in the way of their big corporate interests (money).
Illegal downloading, copying and sharing , they say, is killing the music/movie industry.
This, I think, illustrates it perfectly:
There is this huge machine composed of several labels, distributers, studios, middlemen, agents, representatives, producers and their corporations and families that live off what creative people do.
It has been proven time and time again, the revenue an artist receives is ludicrous, and the big companies get all the serious money. And why? Because they have expenses... So prices go higher, or if not higher, remain the same.
Well, the new online age has made several things very clear to me:
a) it's easier to download than to get a legal copy.
b) more and more people have internet access making the above more and more true.
c) new artists no longer "need" a huge promotion machine behind them.
d) older artists are starting to understand they may be able to survive without having to have pay the "system" as they do.
e) older artists are starting to see that they may be able to make more money by leaving the currently established system.
So, what do those brilliant entrepreneurs do? What comes across the mind of the well paid "business men", and all those lobbyists living off the "entertainment industry"? They see this "change", but decide to fight it with legal "umbrellas".
This "monster" decides to spend millions on "fingerprinting" software for youtube. On new and revolutionary DRM solutions. They lobby to "control" the internet. They want "authorities" and "government entities" to have control to shut down a site and arrest people for "illegally" embracing this change.
The correct solution has been around for a while. I'm not saying anything new...
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It's "lower prices" and "pay artists more". How? - Reduce profit margins, - Reduce the size of this monstrous "system" with millions of tentacles, embrace the online, - Stop hiring idiots to "fight piracy/change", - Stop financing "anti piracy" systems and projects, - Stop paying politicians (interpret this as per the donation or corruption, or both) to try and pass the laws you want, and mainly, - STOP TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO LIKE AND SEE AND HEAR. Stop creating shitty "temporary" idols no one really cares about after day 1. And VEVO. |
The change has to be radically adapt to new music services and allowing people cheap and fast access to content. In a way they won't feel the need to go through the trouble of downloading content.
Let me elaborate on that with an example. One Album, album "Whatnot" is recorded. The money spent to "show us" the album, and how great it is, could publish over 100 more. Music needs to heard and appreciated, not sold as the best dishwasher, soap or beer. It needs "exposure", not publicity. People need to hear and want more, and not be convinced to buy the latest trend.
Then availability is used to maximize profit. Exclusive pre-orders create hype. Then, as the time passes, it starts to become available in more places (Countries, music services). Which makes people connected in this global internet world feel left out. Because their city does not have Store A. Or their country can only get it in 3 months. Because the music service is not available outside US. In the end, when the "system" decides it's ready to allow people to get the album, it's way too late. And at "standard" price, as a "new release" even more? Seriously?
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This is not "rights management", it's a content "milking machine". Buy now for a gazillion, in a month with 25% off or in 2, for 10%. This does not give John more fans, more "exposure" or us more relevant information.
Throughout all these processes, millions are spent. Thousands of people are paid. For what? Controlling, phasing, delaying the costumer access to the content. The problem with music/movie industry is just that. It became a business, an industrial machine that produces low cost plastic coasters and sells them as the next best thing, even if it's 6 months old sometimes. |  |
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There was a moment when things seamed to be changing in the right direction.
iTunes. I hate iTunes. The app, the device management. But it's a landmark in the "music business" because it managed to actually make music more available and cheaper to the costumer. |
They even managed to strip it of DRM after a long fight from the late Mr Jobs. You can now pay for and download music and that's it. Then you can do whatever you want. Sync to your iPod, mobile phone, car radio, laptop, desktop... it's yours.
| This was, is and will be the only one way... Adapt.
Make "entertainment" cheaper an more globally available. Fighting this change is a loosing battle. Doing so is trying to turn back time. It's a stupid act of dinosaurs. Remember: a meteor changed the face of the earth and killed all dinosaurs, no matter how big and strong they were. Because they could not adapt fast enough to the new conditions. If the music/movie/entertainment business/industry/system does not adapt to this new reality, there is no #SOPA #PIPA or #ACTA "umbrella" that can save you from an asteroid. Just saying... Still while they do not die, injured dinosaurs can make some serious damage... Kim Dotcom was seen as such an "asteroid". Allegedly using MegaUpload money to get artist to sign with his new online music service, giving them 90% of profit. |
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This would kill the "music business/industry/system" as we know it. But even if the dinosaurs have ducked this one, many more will most likely follow. Apple may be crippled by the loss of Steve Jobs, and Google busy fighting for patents and developing Android and... some crap. But if or when the next "Dotcom someone" gets their act together, it'll me a meteor shower of epic dimensions.
I've always loved meteor showers...
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Oh, and another thing. This goes for Tv as well! For instance here in Portugal, we get the Daily Show. The two month old Daily Show. People think John Stewart has brown hair for crying out loud... It's like, "oh yes let me tune in and see John Stewart and hear his witty remarks about the current US political situation" from 2 months ago. Fortunately, I can get it online here, daily: http://www.thedailyshow.com  |  |
What kind of a f*d up system delivers something, and what kind of f*n' idiot buys something 2 months old, when it's free the next day, on the web?
The system is so corrupt and monstrous, we're even paying to get free stuff.
