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

Re: Potentially as dangerous as patents

Author:Robert Cassidy
Posted:8/15/2000; 5:39:13 PM
Topic:Potentially as dangerous as patents
Msg #:19738 (In response to 19735)
Prev/Next:19737 / 19739

I agree.

MS and AOL should then be sued because their web browsers, by default, download every single copyrighted web page, image, movie, etc. I access using their product into a folder on my hard drive. At some later point they may, or may not, delete that information.

I don't think its a misunderstanding of innovation, but rather an issue of consistency - you can't kill Napster without in equal fairness killing a ton of other, well established products - like Xerox, like web browsers, etc.. *Perfect* duplication of most copyrighted material is now possible where previously it was not.

Honestly, I think they can rule against Napster all they want, perfect and easy duplication of content is here, will remain, and they either need to adapt to the a new world or the distribution companies will go out of business. Gnutella may replace Napster, and who the hell will they sue then?

Service industries like that have come and gone, and music production and distribution as an industry is probably about to die or be radically transformed. Artists will develop their own labels, produce new talent, and hand over distribution and promotion to more reasonable souls that will take their 10% and be happy with it. Maybe CDNow, maybe Amazon, maybe AOL, maybe they'll organize their own solution. But all of this will happen largely independently of the legal system. There simply isn't any way to stop it, and the legal system is realistic about such things when they recognize it.

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