[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
[FYI] Copyright vs. Freedom Of Distribution: Who Prevails?
- To: debate@fitug.de
- Subject: [FYI] Copyright vs. Freedom Of Distribution: Who Prevails?
- From: "Axel H Horns" <horns@ipjur.com>
- Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 19:26:23 +0100
- Comment: This message comes from the debate mailing list.
- Organization: NONE
- Sender: owner-debate@fitug.de
<http://www.planetit.com/techcenters/docs/security-firewalls/news/PIT
20010116S0015?printDoc=1>
----------------------------- CUT --------------------------------
Copyright vs. Freedom Of Distribution: Who Prevails?
by Judith N. Mottl (01/16/01; 9:00 a.m. ET)
URL: http://www.PlanetIT.com/docs/PIT20010116S0015
It's an argument that will be debated during the 107th Congress, in
state supreme courts and in federal courts nationwide: Who can
dictate what users, distributors or manufacturers can do with
Internet content? The reason this is an argument and not just a
discussion is that the issue is riddled with one of the classic
ingredients of the spy novel: terrific technology, technology that
lets today's computers perform better than some stereo systems and
turns a copper line and a 17-inch computer monitor into a fulfilling,
TV-like experience. But there's also big money -- not only in the
form of revenue from the sale of rights to online broadcasts,
simulcasts and content publication, but also in the form of awards
from verdicts, trial settlements and punitive damages attainable from
the violation of those rights.
"The envelope has become forced at this point," says Eric Scheirer,
an analyst at Forrester Research who tracks copyright issues in the
Internet industry. "It's about money and about control. There are
millions of users, and the parties involved can't afford to ignore
that."
Today, powerful media industry coalitions -- including the National
Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the Motion Picture Association of
America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) -- as well as top media outlets such as The New York Times and
NBC, to name just two, are deliberating in and out of court over
whether the distribution of content through the Internet, as well as
through digital media such as CD-ROM, is protected under current
copyright laws and enforceable through royalty contracts.
[...]
----------------------------- CUT --------------------------------