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

Re: Napster Business Model

Author:Wesley Felter
Posted:6/27/2000; 9:30:45 PM
Topic:Napster Business Model
Msg #:18205 (In response to 18130)
Prev/Next:18204 / 18206

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.

From a technical standpoint, this is impossible (perhaps provably so) on today's commodity hardware. It is possible on game-console-like hardware, but then you get into some other problems: either the hardware is really proprietary so hardware from different companies isn't compatible (yuck) or several companies create a cabal to share hardware specs but still keep them proprietary. This sounds like it could be an antitrust violation to me, but the DVDCCA and SDMI groups are doing exactly this with no legal problems so far.

The equivalent of a title for large value property like automobiles and property. So if you want my Aretha Franklin LP, in whatever digital format (it shouldn't matter...), I have to hand the keys to access over with it, with no ability for me to retain them.

Jordan Pollack has developed an economic model for such "digital titles" (he calls them PURLs: Permanent Use and Resale Licenses). Although I'm not sure whether the average person would be able to understand having to pay capital gains tax when selling their used CDs. ";->"

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