Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Napster Business Model

Author:Seth Gordon
Posted:6/27/2000; 6:54:23 AM
Topic:Napster Business Model
Msg #:18147 (In response to 18130)
Prev/Next:18146 / 18148

What the industry needs to develop is an authentication mechanism for digital media if they wish to retain copyright control. It needs to be cheap, iron-clad, and hard as hell to crack open.

While they're at it, they should come up with an air filter that just lets cool air through, leaving the faster-moving molecules on the other side of the filter. It would make this summer so much more pleasant.

Let's say I get an Aretha Franklin album in some allegedly-uncrackable digital format. Regardless of the format, at some point between the album and my ear, the song has to be converted into an analog audio signal. I can run a cable from my stereo's "audio out" jack to my sound card's "audio in" jack, and with the appropriate software, I can turn that signal into an unencumbered digital audio file, in my format of choice.

Of course, there'll be some noise from the analog transmission, but if I just play the same song over the wire a few dozen times and then average out the results, I can reduce the damage caused by the noise.



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