Slashdot Mirror
RIAA wants to assassinate MP3
Cicero writes "Wired News has an article about the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) plans for killing the mp3 format. It basically involves having the major record labels release music on a yet-to-be-defined, proprietary format called SDMI. The kicker -- require software and hardware companies that license the format to include some sort of kill switch which would prohibit the user from downloading and playing mp3 files. " I'd insert a snide comment here, but...I don't think I need to.
Is it me, or does this reek of using of unfairly shutting out competition? Apparently, if RIAA has their way, this new format will be ALL you can use, unless they decide differently. That's like Sony saying, "If you want to have a recording of a song, you MUST use Minidiscs. End of story."(note: nothing against minidiscs)
Also, from a technical standpoint, how do they propose to do this? Release a new version of Windows that automatically searches and destroys non-RIAA music files on bootup? FTP clients that refuse to download *.mp3? I think not.
--John Riney
jwriney@awod.com
Ahh, it's refreshing to see technology ridding the planet of a horrible evil. The record industry has had it too good for too long; They can see the end and they're trying their old tricks to put off the inevitable. I don't know who their technical consultants are, but they obviously don't have a f*cking clue what's going on.
Reasons why the RIAA is toast, or, mp3 is dead, long live mp3!
#1: It's the Recording Industry of AMERICA
Last time I checked, there were a lot of other countries, with a lot of music besides the good 'old (free?) USofA. Mp3 lets me get music that never makes it to the border in conventional format. And there's lots of coutries that have a skeptical view of american politking.
#2: Mp3 is Open. And out there. Too bad.
I have source code to players and encoders. 'Nuff said. I'll give those up when you pry them from my cold dead hands. And, any EE worth his salt could hack together a DSP mp3 player in a few weeks with little or no problems. Patents or no patents, mpeg technology is here to stay.
#3: You have to listen to the music
Unfortunately for the RIAA, you have to be able to listen to the music at some point. This is the downfall of all secure executable/information copyright enforcing schemes. At some point the information is viewable, and you can always resample it. Decks with phiber outs and pure digital signals make this an almost lossless proposition. Take your music and resample it to mp3.
Does anyone remember DIVX? If the consumer doesn't want it, then it ain't gunna happen. This is a demand economy!
"Do it, do it now kids! Stick it to the Man!" -- Duckman
I'm old enough to remember when Dolby-B noise reduction was introduced.
The RIAA went bonkers.
"Cassettes recorded with Dolby-B will allow people to pirate and trade albums! This will be the end of the music industry."
They tried to outlaw Dolby-B.
Now cassettes encoded with Dolby-B are the music industry's bread and butter.
When television came out, the movie studios went bat s**t. "No one will go to the movies anymore!"
Didn't happen.
When VHS tape came out, the Movie studios went bat s**t again. "This will kill the movie industry."
Now the sales and rental of VHS movies represents the most profitable aspect of movie making.
When DAT came out. RIAA went nuts again. "This will kill the recording industry."
Didn't happen.
You'd think by now the people in the entertainment industry would have learned not to be so damn PARANOID!
Why can't they embrace MP3 like they eventually did the cassette? THEY can distribute their product in MP3 format!
New consumer recording formats and distribution means have NEVER measurably hurt the recording industry! Why can't they look at their own history and learn from it?