In 2009, the internet will rule
Michael Mayday
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Arts
It's a funny thing, change. Most welcome it; a few however, fight it with tooth and nail. Such is the case with the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America. Both the RIAA and the MPAA travel across the country suing college students and single mothers for piracy violations. Bravo.
For some reason, the television and music industry seems to have been caught off guard by the Internet and its tendency towards piracy. Recent temper tantrums, settled in court, can testify to that.
But why is this an issue?
All the poor suits want to do is protect their intellectual properties, which they should.
The problem, however, lies in an old, archaic, marketing model where the Internet is essentially nonexistent. And in today's marketing that's virtually suicidal. Songs and movies are downloaded in a matter of seconds, people stream live webcasts from their laptops and documentaries are often posted on YouTube.com. The DVD and compact disc are essentially going the way of the dodo.
Consumers will find the quickest, cheapest and safest way to get what they want. It's human nature to do so. And the Internet is simply the newest trend.
No website can testify to that more than Hulu.com. Hulu is an experimental video site where users can watch their favorite television shows and movies on their own time and for free. All that's needed is an internet connection.
So this must be illegal, right? Wrong. Hulu.com was launched by NBC Universal and News Corp as a way to both generate revenue through advertisements and to boost viewer ratings.
And so far it's a success: full-length feature films and television shows are updated daily and can be streamed to the user with ease. Visitors can share, queue and embed videos; giving the user the power to watch shows on their own time.
Another great example is Pandora.com. Pandora, a music website, creates radio stations according to a visitors taste in music. Visitors can bookmark different songs, albums and artists they like and buy the songs using iTunes or Amazon. Pandora generates revenue through banner ads. That way, companies can still get their monies and artists can get their names out.
So it's possible to send media online without inspiring piracy. Unfortunately theft, or piracy, will never stop. So long as people will steal from gas stations people will download songs illegally. But when there are faster, cheaper and legal alternatives, it's a safe bet that they will be used more often. In this new age industries need to adapt or die - there's little room for else.
For some reason, the television and music industry seems to have been caught off guard by the Internet and its tendency towards piracy. Recent temper tantrums, settled in court, can testify to that.
But why is this an issue?
All the poor suits want to do is protect their intellectual properties, which they should.
The problem, however, lies in an old, archaic, marketing model where the Internet is essentially nonexistent. And in today's marketing that's virtually suicidal. Songs and movies are downloaded in a matter of seconds, people stream live webcasts from their laptops and documentaries are often posted on YouTube.com. The DVD and compact disc are essentially going the way of the dodo.
Consumers will find the quickest, cheapest and safest way to get what they want. It's human nature to do so. And the Internet is simply the newest trend.
No website can testify to that more than Hulu.com. Hulu is an experimental video site where users can watch their favorite television shows and movies on their own time and for free. All that's needed is an internet connection.
So this must be illegal, right? Wrong. Hulu.com was launched by NBC Universal and News Corp as a way to both generate revenue through advertisements and to boost viewer ratings.
And so far it's a success: full-length feature films and television shows are updated daily and can be streamed to the user with ease. Visitors can share, queue and embed videos; giving the user the power to watch shows on their own time.
Another great example is Pandora.com. Pandora, a music website, creates radio stations according to a visitors taste in music. Visitors can bookmark different songs, albums and artists they like and buy the songs using iTunes or Amazon. Pandora generates revenue through banner ads. That way, companies can still get their monies and artists can get their names out.
So it's possible to send media online without inspiring piracy. Unfortunately theft, or piracy, will never stop. So long as people will steal from gas stations people will download songs illegally. But when there are faster, cheaper and legal alternatives, it's a safe bet that they will be used more often. In this new age industries need to adapt or die - there's little room for else.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Matt
posted 5/05/08 @ 12:18 PM EST
See this case, of Universal threatening and censoring a 15-second low-quality video of a toddler dancing around to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy": http://www. (Continued…)
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