Comments on: Continuing the ramble in open spaces amidst walled gardens http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/01/23/continuing-the-ramble-in-open-spaces-amidst-walled-gardens/ a blog about information Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:37:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nic Brisbourne http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/01/23/continuing-the-ramble-in-open-spaces-amidst-walled-gardens/comment-page-1/#comment-89837 Nic Brisbourne Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:28:20 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/01/23/continuing-the-ramble-in-open-spaces-amidst-walled-gardens/#comment-89837 I am with you in most of your arguments re DRM, but the analogy with hotmail and Skype I don't buy. The cost of an incremental sale for those companies is truly zero, whereas for music to keep the whole bandwagon rolling people have to keep writing new tunes - and they need to get paid. IMHO DRM is coming off (some) MP3s partly in the hope of increasing sales but partly also in the hope of making money off concerts, T-shirt sales etc. Because of rather than with in your parlance. Something similar is starting to happen with books too. I have posted on this at http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/01/24/the-commercial-logic-for-legal-drm-free-access-to-content-on-the-web/ I am with you in most of your arguments re DRM, but the analogy with hotmail and Skype I don’t buy. The cost of an incremental sale for those companies is truly zero, whereas for music to keep the whole bandwagon rolling people have to keep writing new tunes – and they need to get paid.

IMHO DRM is coming off (some) MP3s partly in the hope of increasing sales but partly also in the hope of making money off concerts, T-shirt sales etc. Because of rather than with in your parlance.

Something similar is starting to happen with books too. I have posted on this at http://www.theequitykicker.com/2007/01/24/the-commercial-logic-for-legal-drm-free-access-to-content-on-the-web/

]]> By: Dominic Sayers http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/01/23/continuing-the-ramble-in-open-spaces-amidst-walled-gardens/comment-page-1/#comment-85171 Dominic Sayers Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:35:23 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/01/23/continuing-the-ramble-in-open-spaces-amidst-walled-gardens/#comment-85171 OK, let's pursue your Winter's Tale analogy to its logical conclusion. The music industry (Leontes) orders its faithful servant Steve Jobs (Antigonus) to hide its IP (Perdita) because of jealousy. Antigonus is not totally convinced but while he is dithering he is chased away by a bear (the RIAA). Perdita is then rescued by the people and grows up happily free and unencumbered by royalty (geddit?). Unfortunately, Shakespeare ends the play with a reconciliation between Leontes and Polixenes (Hollywood?) and Perdita resumes her royalty in a marriage that unites the two factions. Boo! Perhaps Dylan Thomas would have ended it differently. Exit, pursued by a beer. OK, let’s pursue your Winter’s Tale analogy to its logical conclusion.

The music industry (Leontes) orders its faithful servant Steve Jobs (Antigonus) to hide its IP (Perdita) because of jealousy. Antigonus is not totally convinced but while he is dithering he is chased away by a bear (the RIAA).

Perdita is then rescued by the people and grows up happily free and unencumbered by royalty (geddit?).

Unfortunately, Shakespeare ends the play with a reconciliation between Leontes and Polixenes (Hollywood?) and Perdita resumes her royalty in a marriage that unites the two factions. Boo!

Perhaps Dylan Thomas would have ended it differently. Exit, pursued by a beer.

]]> By: malcolm http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/01/23/continuing-the-ramble-in-open-spaces-amidst-walled-gardens/comment-page-1/#comment-84205 malcolm Tue, 23 Jan 2007 23:04:11 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/01/23/continuing-the-ramble-in-open-spaces-amidst-walled-gardens/#comment-84205 Ok - I may have changed my opinion. How much does Google make from advertising and what is the total revenue of the music business and how close are these two figures. Ok – I may have changed my opinion.

How much does Google make from advertising and what is the total revenue of the music business and how close are these two figures.

]]> By: malcolm http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/01/23/continuing-the-ramble-in-open-spaces-amidst-walled-gardens/comment-page-1/#comment-84151 malcolm Tue, 23 Jan 2007 22:32:37 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/01/23/continuing-the-ramble-in-open-spaces-amidst-walled-gardens/#comment-84151 At what point does the advertising-revenue model fall down? One advertises something that someone wishes to buy - give you money for. If everything you "buy" is free because you are "paying" by renting out your eyeballs don't we start chasing our own tail? Is advertising in this context the ultimate pyramid scheme. I remain a sceptic here :) My own belief: the price point for digital media falls to the same level as the price of a single malteser. Volume bought goes exponential. I do, of course reserve the right to change my opinion. At what point does the advertising-revenue model fall down? One advertises something that someone wishes to buy – give you money for. If everything you “buy” is free because you are “paying” by renting out your eyeballs don’t we start chasing our own tail? Is advertising in this context the ultimate pyramid scheme. I remain a sceptic here :)

My own belief: the price point for digital media falls to the same level as the price of a single malteser. Volume bought goes exponential.

I do, of course reserve the right to change my opinion.

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