Kevin Marks
Cary Sherman:
Actually, we're not lobbying for copy-restriction technologies. We do want our companies to be able to use copy protection technology on their CDs, however, so that they can discourage unlimited copying and distribution on the Internet. Each company decides on its own whether to use such technology, and so far, only one major has done so for commercial releases in the U.S., and then only on four albums. (ALL releases with copy protection on them have been labeled, by the way. Don't believe rumors that companies are secretly putting copy-protected CDs into the market.) Significantly, the US companies have been conscious of the fact that lots of consumers listen to music on their computers, so they've been using additional technology to give consumers the ability to play the CDs on computers (in what are called "second sessions"). Technologies are also coming along that will allow consumers to transfer music files to portable devices, etc. - but still protect against unlimited copying and distribution on the Internet. The idea is to come up with consumer-friendly technology that allows users to make appropriate personal use of their music, but that prevents piracy.
As for crashing computers, I know that there have been reports of that out of Europe. That's one of the reasons the US labels are proceeding so cautiously, because they don't want the consumer to have a bad experience. The technology in this area keeps changing, and improving. You mention Enhanced CDs. As it happens, lots of consumers have had trouble with Enhanced CDs, because they may not play on all devices. So every time you mess with computer technology, there are unexpected effects. But I certainly agree that giving the customer more value - like images and lyrics - is a great way to encourage people to buy CDs rather than download the music without paying for it.
Question #2:
Let's get down to brass tacks –
1:why is there truly a need for the RIAA any more, given the existance of technology that permits and encourages the bypassing of the "middleman" organizations in the first place? The impression most have been given is that the RIAA is out to squash the technology from P2P sharing to Internet Radio, simply because they have not been able to find a valid methodology of extracting "Caesar's" cut ("render unto Caesar what is Caesar's") from each unit sold (i.e., download that takes place). Is this the case, and if so/not, why/why not?
Article comments