If the bill passes, then Joe Consumer will have a strong inducement to hold onto his old computer rather than buy a new one. The old machine lets him download, save and trade materials like mp3s, porn (almost all copyrighted), and games. A new machine would be faster, but doesn't do any of that. I know i will go a looong time before i buy a machine that only lets me do what Disney thinks i should.
And Joe Consumer holding on to his old machine not only affects the computer-makers, it hurts the software industry as well. As it turns out, even though 2/3rds of Joe's mp3 collection was downloaded off the net (and therefore illeagal according to RIAA, even though most of that was replacing vinyl he paid for twenty years ago), over half his applications were store bought at full retail price. Since he is sticking with his old, slower computer, he has no incentive to upgrade his Apps (and couldn't if he wanted to as his machine is too slow to run the new stuff). And then there's all that software that's usually included with a new computer.
So who wins?
Nobody actually. Consumers lose. computer makers and software companies lose. broadband internet roll-out is slowed even further (the slower machines can't handle it).
And even Disney doesn't get ahead. Rightously pissed hackers will devote special effort to insure that Disney movies are the first ones cracked and made available underground. And Joe Technophile (lives right up the street from Joe Consumer) has been quietly boycotting Disney, ABC, and Sony since he first read about the SSSCA on Slashdot. And then there's the mess in the Courts when Prof. Joe Sklyarov publishes on the technical weaknesses of the mandated copy-control encryption.
This is all about the Buggy-whip manufacturers screaming about that new-fangled car. Don't you think it would have been a very bad idea to make VCRs play-only back in 1978. VCRs never would have caught on if you couldn't use it to record a TV show, a practice the broadcast industry still considers a copyright violation. Oh and how the movie industry screamed back then, even though a typical disney flick today will make more from video sales than it will in the theatre [double check that factoid].
The movie industry is in little danger in the near future due to the file sizes required (even on a 400kbps internet connection it would take over 10 hours to D/L a typical movie DVD!)
The RIAA is in fact in some danger, but not from the direction you think. I have personally spent more on CD's this year than the last 10 years put together (though i have made a point of buying at used CD stores since the RIAA has pissed me off so much lately). The ability to store music on my computer and make compilation CD's of my favorite obscure music for friends and family has made it actually worth the money to buy CD's again.
The RIAA are in danger because they are simply middle-men. An amatuer musician can put together a basement studio capable of putting out pro-quality tracks for less than $10K (and that number has a lot of fudge built into it, if you have talent and already have a computer you can make a quality recording with another $500 worth of equipment). It used to be that the record company made a big investment in an artist by putting up the money for studio time, but those days are fading fast. And now the internet is on the verge of freeing the distribution channels from their grasp. The only aspect of the music biz that the RIAA still holds tight is the Star-Making (i.e. promotion), and that's really in the control of the radio and television broadcasters anyway. The music biz is in for a bit of a shake-up over the next decade or so, and the RIAA will probably not enjoy the changes, but when the steam engine's time comes....
Anyway, i see i went into a bit of a rant without bringing it all together (summation: the SSSCA by any other name, does in fact suck as bad), but i tend to do that. It's a good thing i wont be meeting with the senator, since i would likely go into an extended rant about the length of copyrights (why, exactly, should they last any longer than patents?).
Good luck, and go win one for the Ripper. -DrLuckie (alias for Rob Ryland)
Slashdot Mirror
If the bill passes, then Joe Consumer will have a strong inducement to hold onto his old computer rather than buy a new one. The old machine lets him download, save and trade materials like mp3s, porn (almost all copyrighted), and games. A new machine would be faster, but doesn't do any of that. I know i will go a looong time before i buy a machine that only lets me do what Disney thinks i should.
And Joe Consumer holding on to his old machine not only affects the computer-makers, it hurts the software industry as well. As it turns out, even though 2/3rds of Joe's mp3 collection was downloaded off the net (and therefore illeagal according to RIAA, even though most of that was replacing vinyl he paid for twenty years ago), over half his applications were store bought at full retail price. Since he is sticking with his old, slower computer, he has no incentive to upgrade his Apps (and couldn't if he wanted to as his machine is too slow to run the new stuff). And then there's all that software that's usually included with a new computer.
So who wins?
Nobody actually. Consumers lose. computer makers and software companies lose. broadband internet roll-out is slowed even further (the slower machines can't handle it).
And even Disney doesn't get ahead. Rightously pissed hackers will devote special effort to insure that Disney movies are the first ones cracked and made available underground. And Joe Technophile (lives right up the street from Joe Consumer) has been quietly boycotting Disney, ABC, and Sony since he first read about the SSSCA on Slashdot. And then there's the mess in the Courts when Prof. Joe Sklyarov publishes on the technical weaknesses of the mandated copy-control encryption.
This is all about the Buggy-whip manufacturers screaming about that new-fangled car. Don't you think it would have been a very bad idea to make VCRs play-only back in 1978. VCRs never would have caught on if you couldn't use it to record a TV show, a practice the broadcast industry still considers a copyright violation. Oh and how the movie industry screamed back then, even though a typical disney flick today will make more from video sales than it will in the theatre [double check that factoid].
The movie industry is in little danger in the near future due to the file sizes required (even on a 400kbps internet connection it would take over 10 hours to D/L a typical movie DVD!)
The RIAA is in fact in some danger, but not from the direction you think. I have personally spent more on CD's this year than the last 10 years put together (though i have made a point of buying at used CD stores since the RIAA has pissed me off so much lately). The ability to store music on my computer and make compilation CD's of my favorite obscure music for friends and family has made it actually worth the money to buy CD's again.
The RIAA are in danger because they are simply middle-men. An amatuer musician can put together a basement studio capable of putting out pro-quality tracks for less than $10K (and that number has a lot of fudge built into it, if you have talent and already have a computer you can make a quality recording with another $500 worth of equipment). It used to be that the record company made a big investment in an artist by putting up the money for studio time, but those days are fading fast. And now the internet is on the verge of freeing the distribution channels from their grasp. The only aspect of the music biz that the RIAA still holds tight is the Star-Making (i.e. promotion), and that's really in the control of the radio and television broadcasters anyway. The music biz is in for a bit of a shake-up over the next decade or so, and the RIAA will probably not enjoy the changes, but when the steam engine's time comes....
Anyway, i see i went into a bit of a rant without bringing it all together (summation: the SSSCA by any other name, does in fact suck as bad), but i tend to do that. It's a good thing i wont be meeting with the senator, since i would likely go into an extended rant about the length of copyrights (why, exactly, should they last any longer than patents?).
Good luck, and go win one for the Ripper.
-DrLuckie
(alias for Rob Ryland)