The elephants are not only awake but on the move. We are in danger of being trampled by the desires of copyright owners, service providers and consumers of the content protected by copyrights. The elephants in this controversy are hauling all their ammunition to the front. We have Hollywood, the Congress, consumer advocates, and now the service providers all tromping in the digital jungle. The stakes are high and rising. Hollywood wants to sustain profits. Consumers want content at the lowest possible cost; free is the lowest possible cost. Telcos want liability protection, as do ISPs. The hardware elephants don't want to be told how to design their stuff and Congress thinks it can solve the problem legislatively. Meanwhile, the jungle snares all these elephants in that colossal internet theft ring. Can 50 million consumers be cheats??
Where will it end. For many years the mantra has been "Information wants to be free." Music, videos, software... all strain to be free attracted by the magnet of users who believe if I can get it for free, why should I pay?
Seems everybody's rights are in conflict. How to resolve? No easy answers to this one, buster! The dilemma is how to enforce the legitimate monetary rights of artists and content owners when the definition of 'fair use' continues to expand upon the skills and beliefs of those who believe piracy is today's expression of 'fair use.' Seems the underlying driver here is a moral dilemma. Piracy is 'justified' when the little guy/gal feels it's OK to steal from the big elephant because that elephant is an SOB anyway. Lost in all of this is how the creator of the content is protected and reimbursed for his/her labors.
Seems to me that theft made easier in a digital age is still theft, no matter the size or motivations of the elephants.
Tromp. Tromp. Methinks the Hollywood elephant will change eating habits (business model) soon.
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