Do they really want angry customers?


Having failed in the marketplace, the RIAA and other groups want Congress to act
Sometimes I think entertainment companies forget that they are selling a product. First comes that nonsense with Sony's nonspec CDs messing up your computers (which sure enough led to the release of viruses to exploit the Sony rootkit), and then there is this piece of idiocy.

Never mind that digital audio broadcasting is not significantly greater in quality than regular, analog radio. Never mind that its music quality is vastly less than than that of audio CDs. In spite of these inconvenient facts, the RIAA is hoping that the transition to “digital audio broadcasting” will provide enough confusion and panic that they can persuade Congress or the FCC to impose some kind of copy-protection scheme or regulation on digital radio broadcast.

Immediately below is the text of the joint resolution by RIAA and other groups, asking Congress to copy-protect radio (which has never been copy-protected before). Following that is RIAA’s “one-pager” outlining for Congress the reasons RIAA offers for Congress to authorize the FCC to put in place a copy-protection scheme for radio. (Note the use of the term “HD Radio” — implying that there’s something “high-definition” about digital audio broadcasting, even though everyone who knows anything about digital audio broadcast content knows it’s of much lower quality than that of audio CDs.)

It's not that hard to understand. If you offend your customers, they stop buying and using your products. I'm all for copyright protection, but let's get realistic here. If I really like something, I am going to try to buy the hard copy anyway. Once I have bought that hard copy, what I do with it is my business. As long as I don't profit on it or claim it as my own, I don't infringe on your rights.

Can you imagine an equal standard being applied to writing?

"I'm sorry, but even though you bought that book, it has been three months, therefore you can't read it again."

Or how about clothing?

"You've already worn those pants three times. Any further use will require additional licensing fees."

Already you can get pretty decent music without going through the major labels. The higher the CD prices and the more the restrictions, and people will just find another source.

Free market rules. Try to stack the deck and you will be out of business.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Fri - November 11, 2005 at 05:01 PM  Tag


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