Re: Cory Doctorow: W3C green-lights adding DRM to the Web's standards, says it's OK for your browser to say "I can't let you do that, Dave" [via Restricted Media Community Group]

On Tue, Oct 8, 2013 at 4:01 PM, cobaco <cobaco@freemen.be> wrote:

> On 2013-10-08 15:00 David Singer wrote:
> > On Oct 8, 2013, at 14:17 , cobaco <cobaco@freemen.be> wrote:
> > > On 2013-10-08 11:10 David Singer wrote:
> > >> On Oct 8, 2013, at 5:48 , cobaco <cobaco@freemen.be> wrote:
> > >>> Thanks to that basic reality there is no noticable scarcity for
> digital
> > >>> goods once the first copy is created, and the creating itself is a
> sunk
> > >>> cost.
> > >>
> > >> It's not a question of wanting scarcity:  trust me, people who make
> > >> content
> > >> for sale would be delighted if everyone bought it. It's a question of
> > >> wanting remuneration for their creation.
> > >
> > > The right time to arrange remuneration is before you do the work, not
> > > after.
> > You're seriously suggesting that movie companies sell futures in a movie
> > they are thinking of making, and only make it when they've sold enough?
> >
> > Or what?
> >
> > > - DRM is not a selling point, it's a hassle
> >
> > Yes, for everyone; for the content owner, distributor, and honest user.
> > I've said it before: no one *likes* DRM, they just dislike it less than
> all
> > the alternatives they can find.
> > >> There *is* a business model that leverages easy copying.  Create
> > >> something,
> > >> and then sell the first copy under terms that allow the recipient to
> sell
> > >> on at any price they choose.  So, the first sale tends to be
> expensive;
> > >> you're going to be 'competing' with your first customer. The price
> drops,
> > >> and continues to drop until it hits the point that people feel they
> are
> > >> paying a price that's fair for their own enjoyment and they don't
> need to
> > >> sell on.  Pretty much around there the price hits zero -- someone
> buys a
> > >> copy and gives it away.
> > >
> > > that's one business model that would work...
> > > - crowdfunding a la kickstarter is a second
> > > - distributed patronage by existing fans a third
> > > - loss leading live performances/related merchandise with digital
> goods a
> > > forth
> > > - competing on accessibility, convenience and service a fifth (note:
> > > you're
> > > directly competing with piracy in this model, DRM is not gonna improve
> > > your
> > > chances)
> > > - then there's the alternative provided by creative commons type free
> > > culture
>
> > You really see these working for movies or TV shows?
>
> yes:
>
> kickstarter for movies has already been successfully done, see e.g.
> http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1094772583/the-canyons?ref=search
> (movies really don't need budgets of 100 million dollars or more)
>
> distruted patronage by existing fans has been done for e.g. the comedy
> series
> 'the guild' which only survived the first season through paypal donations.
> (I could easily see someone like Joss Whedon make this work)
>
> competing on accessibility, convenience and service is essentialy what
> netflix
> does (no-drm would help not hinder that)
>

Well, actually, it would hinder rather a lot because noone would sell us
content any more.


>
> Louis CK essentially combined the accessibility/convenience/service
> approach
> with the use it as marketing approach on his own site (worked doubly well
> due
> to the no-drm stance he explicitly took),
> I could see that approach working for something like a
> talkshow/sitcom/gameshow, go on tour with it (they're filmed with audiences
> already aren't they? no idea if they currently charge a ticket price)
>
>
Because something is successful does not mean it's reasonable to demand
that it be the only way. Other things can be successful too. All of the
above models are great - I hope they all flourish. But I also hope we can
agree we should defer to the general population to decide what models they
wish to patronize rather than proscribing from on high which are and are
not "acceptable". In fact it's imperative that we do encourage as many
different models as possible, because it is only through diversity and
experimentation that we discover what works.

...Mark



> --
> Cheers
>
>