What's interesting to see in the report (p46) is how the musicians view the control over IP (ie copyright):
61% believe that current copyright protection does a good job at protecting their rights, but 59% say that copyright laws do more to protect those who sell art over the artists themselves.
The musicians that perform the underlying scores within film and television should also be considered. They collect royalties based on CD/DVD/Syndication (etc) as dictated by their union. So potential losses associated with pirated film/tv also impacts the "unknown" musicians associated.
All the media articles on this topic take the angle of file sharing, but the Pew report is actually about how musicians view the Internet - file sharing fits under that umbrella, but is not the whole story. So, while 50% of musicians felt "file sharing" copyrighted materials should be illegal, 'Across the board... is actually referring to how musicians view the "Internet".
Now...
While some may argue that the ReplayTV and Tivo protection flags for PPV content are not a big deal and easily dismissed, it may be a short sighted position to take. Similar protection flags are being implemented on HD content as well. It's quite likely that content owners will implement protection flags across any/all of their content in the attempt to protect profits that might be lost in DVD rentals and sales - or maybe just for fear of piracy. This would, of course, include many broadcast programs that have their programs offered to DVD - everything from Six Feet Under to Survivor. And of course, don't forget the marriage with NetFlix and the Video On Demand content they are aiming for. So while it may appear that only PPV is impacted, I wouldn't bet that it stays that way.
Another interesting thing to note is that when Tivo's general counsel was questioned about why Tivo did not stand up to Macrovision he stated:
"..if there was no Macrovision license, we would run into a lot of copyright problems with things like remote access and "TiVo to Go" functionality."
Sounds like Tivo was bargaining. But was it worth it? Basically they bargained your current features, which include the ability to build a perfectly legal library, for future products you might not even want.
Soon...
I've read several posts that have commented on other content options, primarily those that might spring up on the internet, and how they will never survive or even be desired. As the platform for video distribution moves to a broadband model the entertainment options will increase dramatically. If you look past the obvious result of every Tom, Dick, and Harry publishing content, you will see that there is a potential market for content production if the right distributor is partnered with. I'm sure AtomFilms, and those of similar ilk, are considering it.
But the existing Hollywood model is a broken one; I'll be bold enough to claim, unfixable. The creative people out there will develop something entirely new - a Hollywood competitor - and they will create better quality content for less money and provide it to global audiences. They will develop new protections, re-think salaries, crew size, development, money sources, etc. Given the platform, they will do this because it is easy, far easier than breaking into mainstream Hollywood, and probably more enjoyable. And we will love our "Must-Link TV".
Slashdot Mirror
What's interesting to see in the report (p46) is how the musicians view the control over IP (ie copyright): 61% believe that current copyright protection does a good job at protecting their rights, but 59% say that copyright laws do more to protect those who sell art over the artists themselves.
The musicians that perform the underlying scores within film and television should also be considered. They collect royalties based on CD/DVD/Syndication (etc) as dictated by their union. So potential losses associated with pirated film/tv also impacts the "unknown" musicians associated.
All the media articles on this topic take the angle of file sharing, but the Pew report is actually about how musicians view the Internet - file sharing fits under that umbrella, but is not the whole story. So, while 50% of musicians felt "file sharing" copyrighted materials should be illegal, 'Across the board... is actually referring to how musicians view the "Internet".
Recap and links on this topic
While some may argue that the ReplayTV and Tivo protection flags for PPV content are not a big deal and easily dismissed, it may be a short sighted position to take. Similar protection flags are being implemented on HD content as well. It's quite likely that content owners will implement protection flags across any/all of their content in the attempt to protect profits that might be lost in DVD rentals and sales - or maybe just for fear of piracy. This would, of course, include many broadcast programs that have their programs offered to DVD - everything from Six Feet Under to Survivor. And of course, don't forget the marriage with NetFlix and the Video On Demand content they are aiming for. So while it may appear that only PPV is impacted, I wouldn't bet that it stays that way.
Another interesting thing to note is that when Tivo's general counsel was questioned about why Tivo did not stand up to Macrovision he stated:Sounds like Tivo was bargaining. But was it worth it? Basically they bargained your current features, which include the ability to build a perfectly legal library, for future products you might not even want.
Soon...
I've read several posts that have commented on other content options, primarily those that might spring up on the internet, and how they will never survive or even be desired. As the platform for video distribution moves to a broadband model the entertainment options will increase dramatically. If you look past the obvious result of every Tom, Dick, and Harry publishing content, you will see that there is a potential market for content production if the right distributor is partnered with. I'm sure AtomFilms, and those of similar ilk, are considering it.
But the existing Hollywood model is a broken one; I'll be bold enough to claim, unfixable. The creative people out there will develop something entirely new - a Hollywood competitor - and they will create better quality content for less money and provide it to global audiences. They will develop new protections, re-think salaries, crew size, development, money sources, etc. Given the platform, they will do this because it is easy, far easier than breaking into mainstream Hollywood, and probably more enjoyable. And we will love our "Must-Link TV".