The End of the Internet. Hah!

Kind of old news, but definitely something to think about.
Have you heard? The Internet might be switched off?


"November 29, 2006 A landmark legal case on behalf of the Recording Industry Association of America and other global trade organizations seeks to criminalize all Internet file sharing of any kind as copyright infringement, effectively shutting down the world wide web - and their argument is supported by the U.S. government." (Click Title)


Maybe a little melodramatic, but hey, is it really out of the realm of possibility? I mean, kind of. The government's a powerful beast, but give me a break. If anti-file sharing laws were ever enforced to the degree the RIAA and the MPAA hope that they'd be there would be rioting in the streets. It's like alcohol and prohibition. Those laws only served a small group of Americans and it was repealed because of it. In fact, file sharing harms an even smaller group. At least prohibition had the Christian right behind them, now it's only record execs with big pockets. But what about the business execs with big pockets who have a stake in the Internet? What'll you tell them?


Hell, even most of the people generating the content support file sharing as a free marketing tool. Government will get second-degree burned by its citizenry if they just decided to 'shut down the internet.' Give people a taste of the greatest technological advancement in the past ninety or so years, and take it away from them? I think not. So, yes, while this case is critical, we have to take a step back and realize what we're saying. Let's make the biggest stink in history if possible, but let's do it calmly and intelligently. For as long as we stay alive and for every generation that comes after, we will have our internet and be able to file-share, too. Hey, there's a black market in the real-world, imagine it on the internet. Let's seem them try and stop it. As long as there are drug dealers, there will be file sharers. The losing war on drugs = the losing war on file sharing. Have fun, RIAA.

Jobs 'Aint So Bad After All

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computers, published a statement (Click the title) on Tuesday that settled a few things. He was getting a lot of heat for the DRM that infects the iTunes music store files, and it was in his best interest to clarify his position and play victim. Without plainly stating it, he made it clear that he's just as much DRM prey as the people who download from his largely successful service. By removing the software, he'd be effectively jeopardizing the whole enterprise. He's caught in between the record companies and his consumers. Based on his somewhat forward thinking business model, it's not inconceivable that he'd dispose of DRM if the record companies that supply most of the music in his store allowed for it. The skeptical bloggers and writers have thoroughly analyzed the statement, deeming his attitude a "bluff" and using clever rhetoric, but it's just idiotic to me. Sure, maybe DRM keeps Apple's sales high, but you can't get around the fact that if Jobs decided to press his middle finger against the windows of the corporate music skyscrapers, his iTunes music store would fail, losing the music that keeps it alive now. What would you do? So, while I believe that Jobs would, in fact, relinquish the DRM scheme to please his customers, that's inconsequential. The fact is: all he could do right now is speak out against DRM and get record companies to think about their industry differently. Perhaps, he's in a power position to say, 'Hey, suit! You can't use my customers' business? Well, let's see how far you get without them." But in all likelihood, if Jobs isn't willing to keep DRM on his files, another company will surely spring up and take the business and satisfy the hungry music executives. So, yeah, I've bitched and moaned about Jobs' unwillingness to get rid of DRM, but I think we all need to aim our vengeful guns at the record companies and the RIAA, instead of the vendors who feel the heat of corporate fire-pokers, waiting for the vendor to slip up or point the middle finger.
I do believe Jobs is in a power position to convince record companies to allow him to sell DRM-encrypted files that would be open to devices other than the iPod. The technology to limit the amount of devices and computers that could bear each song, while still allowing interoperability, seems rather feasible. Until that software is developed and Jobs becomes more outspoken about the issue, maybe you can put a little blame on him.