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MPAA Considers Major Changes After Sony Hack
Earthquake Retrofit shares this story about changes that may be coming to the MPAA prompted by the Sony hack. "Fissures revealed by the hacking at Sony Pictures Entertainment have raised the prospect of profound change at one of Hollywood's oldest institutions: the Motion Picture Association of America. In a behind-the-scenes drama, the Sony Pictures chairman, Michael Lynton, last month told industry colleagues of a plan to withdraw from the movie trade organization, according to people who have been briefed on the discussions. He cited the organization’s slow response and lack of public support in the aftermath of the attack on Sony and its film The Interview, as well as longstanding concerns about the cost and efficacy of the group. Reversing course in mid-January, as the Oscar nominations were being announced, Mr. Lynton stayed in. But he and other studio executives are now discussing proposals that could alter the structure, mandate and governance of a 93-year-old organization that has been the policy front for Hollywood’s major film studios."
The fact that they have the entire film industry by the short hairs, and whatever they want in Congress, they get.
The only reason we are seeing cracks in their structure is that the app market on devices is now bigger than Hollywood, so there are new players in town that are out of the MPAA's control, and they have their own studios and abilities to create content. In fact, movie theaters (other than the Alamo Drafthouse because they offer a decent menu and give cammers, texters, cellphone yappers, and other vermin the boot) are hitting the worst times since the film reel was invented.
Of course, this doesn't mean to cheer. The MPAA has taken a blow to the face, but they are definitely not KO-ed. They managed to get a treaty passed (WIPO) which supersedes the US Bill of Rights (and I dare anyone to find any precedents stating otherwise, otherwise the DMCA wouldn't remain law), and could easily get another treaty, or have stuff attached to the TPP treaty to shore up their territory.
The MPAA also has two targets now: Apple and Google. If they get control of the App Store in the name of content protection (copyright lawsuits are not just for the 12 year old downloading a torrent), they easily will re-assert those markets, especially because there is only one gatekeeper in each market. Control Apple, control all the apps on the platform and the ecosystem. End of story. Same with Google.
We will see a shift after the MPAA reorganizes. They will be going after any cracks possible in the app market as a way to reassert control. A cut scene playing in a game? That can be considered a movie, and thus has to be MPAA rated. Websites that stream videos like YouTube are also easy targets for the MPAA to go after and force all content to have to be registered with them.
When they give back what was stolen from me.
Hey, congressmen are expensive!