http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20031104/ap_on_go_ot/digital_tv_piracy_1

A more detailed article: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/washpost/20031105/tc_washpost/a2629_2003nov5

Liiks like its going to be illegal to make a cd copy of a free broadcast TV program.   Funny how they had no problem with VCR's but now that digital recording is becoming the norm Studios suddenly strike to protect programs on free TV?   Whats wrong with a digital copy?  Whats wrong with sharing a digital copy?  I'll tell you.  MONEY.  

Hollywood studios are trying to protect the booming TV series DVD boxed sets that are becoming the rage.  They are afraid that a tivo copy will be good enough(which it really isn't) to disuade people from buying the DVD      :x

I hope the courts overturn this ruling.

They can't stop the illegal copying. Now it's there it can't be stopped anymore. With the new technology, it's possible for an artist to produce and distribute his own recording without the recording industry. The record companies are operating in a cartel that keeps the prices artificially high. (at least in Holland) You see the same price in every shop, shops that sell the records for less than the agreed price are boycotted by the record companies so they have to close down or sell the cd's at the agreed price. People are tired of paying $25 for a cd with 2 good tracks on it while the rest is junk to fill the cd. Now we have a way to get songs for free and only the songs WE want, the recording industry becomes aware that they can't rip us off anymore.

The recording industry sees the digital copying as a threat and try to stop it with all kinds of stupid laws and sueing 70 year old granddad for having 10 mp3's on his computer.

Digital technology and infrastructure can make record companies obsolete in the future.

I can understand to a point. Technically even broadcast programs are copyright protected, but the dvd prices are out of hand. I'd buy a lot of programs on dvd if they were reasonable. I'd have the whole season of American Chopper on dvd if it wasn't 22 bucks an episode - before S&H!! That's ridiculous for a program that's probably 40 minutes long after you cut the commercials out.    Put the season on disc for 50 or 75 bucks and I'd be all over it.

those greedy bastards.  they claim that all the copying is hurting the industry... very misleading, showing commercials with guys saying that their jobs are threatenend... the biggest threat comes from the guys at the top, finding ways to increase their salaries and profit by slashing employees!

[quote="john]Funny how they had no problem with VCR's but now that digital recording is becoming the norm Studios suddenly strike to protect programs on free TV?   Whats wrong with a digital copy?  Whats wrong with sharing a digital copy?  I'll tell you.  MONEY.[/quote]

actually, the industry had a huge problem with vcr's and regular tape recorders.  in fact, every time you buy a blank tape or a tape recorder the industry is getting money.  i can't remember the term for it, mandatory licensing maybe.  they most likely do the same thing with vcrs and video tapes.  there was the whole fair use thing, which allows us to record things and make backups for personal use.  the problem with digital is that you can make unlimited perfect copies and there is no physical media, so it's too easy to copy and distribute.  tapes, you would actually have to mail them, and when you start making copies of copies it looses quality each time, so it's not as bad for the industry.

having said all that, i don't think it's the FCC place to be passing this law.  it IS BS.  i think the music industry is pretty much going to have to change their tune or be screwed.  there is just too much momentum for them to stop the downloading.  i personally don't have a big problem with it because generally, if i download something and i like it, i'll buy the cd.  if not, i'll just delete it.  i recognize the fact that if i want more music from the bands i like, i should support them.  but if the record industry wants to survive, they are going to have to find a new business model.

but have no doubt about it, when you download music or movies, you are violating copywrite laws.  

while we're on the subject... the thing that really gets me is how the RIAA is going on about how downloading has cut into their sales.  what about the fact that there aren't any cds worth buying.  what about the fact that people are spending more money on dvds and video games.  how about the fact that the economy as a whole is down?

enough ranting.  that was pretty incoherent.  sorry.

My general rule of thumb on music piracy (call a spade a spade) is that if the music comes from an indie label, I limit myself to 2 songs and if I like it, I go buy the album.  Anything by the majors is fair game though.  Even with all the various markups, no one should be forced to spend more than $10 for a 12-song CD.  Indie labels like Dischord have been doing it right for years and still turning a profit.

With that said, as someone who works in telecom/Internet policy, I can tell you that despite the advances in pirating/P2P technology, the RIAA/MPAA will continue to try and protect their intellectual property till the cows come home.  Whether through legislation (i.e. scare tactics), media exposure (pity the poor key grip/soundman/etc.), and technology (i.e. flooding Kazaa with bogus files), these guys have the motivation and the resources to make pirating media a major pain in the arse for the casual consumer.  The eventual goal, IMHO, is to drive people to new services like iTunes which will enable clean/high quality downloads of all sorts of media at a reasonable price without the hassle of wading through all the anti-piracy counter-measures (lawsuits, new techs, etc.) they're coming up with.

While I don't think that the digital media genie will ever be put back in the bottle, I think P2P and such will be the eventual saviors of the media companies' bottom lines, not their undoing.

Just my $.02.

JammingEcono

Cd's were $9.99 here when they first came out.  Now they are $18.99 or more for new releases.  Why increase the price of a technology as it gets older and more accepted?  Greed.  Plain and simple.  Everything else in the world is more expensive when it is new, then gradually drops in price as the public embraces the new technology.  

Look at CD players.  They used to me several hundred dollars and damn near the size of a microwave.  Now they fit in the palm of your hand and can be had for $30.  In this time, the media used in these machines has doubled in price.  It's all bullshit.    

I think Apple and Napster are selling songs for like a buck. It reminds of my parents 45 colectiom.
I have all but maybe 3 Simpsons episodes on tape. I don't sell them and only family and friends watch them so no worries. Unless Matt Groening has a GS and is reading this .

hey jamminecono...

we should go to some shows sometime.  my girlfriend an i end up at the black cat for the indie shows occasionally, 9:30 once in a while and random places in arlington from time to time.

dan

Hey jiggersplat, sounds like a plan.  I go to shows at 9:30 and Black Cat occassionally, depending on who's playing.  Soul Brains are playing the 9:30 on Nov. 19 and Rocket from the Tombs is coming to the Black Cat on Dec. 7. I was thinking of going to one if not both of those shows.  Other than that, last show I saw was the Buzzcocks at Ottobar in B'more.

Interested, PM me. I'm also on AIM (MrSinisterDC) and Yahoo IM (mr_siin) most of the day.

JammingEcono