Oh Canada!

Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:32 am

Found an insightful article here, titled "History Repeats Itself: How The RIAA Is Like 17th Century French Button-Makers"

Quote:

"The question has come up whether a guild master of the weaving industry should be allowed to try an innovation in his product. The verdict: 'If a cloth weaver intends to process a piece according to his own invention, he must not set it on the loom, but should obtain permission from the judges of the town to employ the number and length of threads that he desires, after the question has been considered by four of the oldest merchants and four of the oldest weavers of the guild.' One can imagine how many suggestions for change were tolerated.

Shortly after the matter of cloth weaving has been disposed of, the button makers guild raises a cry of outrage; the tailors are beginning to make buttons out of cloth, an unheard-of thing. The government, indignant that an innovation should threaten a settled industry, imposes a fine on the cloth-button makers. But the wardens of the button guild are not yet satisfied. They demand the right to search people's homes and wardrobes and fine and even arrest them on the streets if they are seen wearing these subversive goods."

As we move into an age of "information abundance" made possible by the internet, we can no longer rely on laws and business models that were based in the economy of scarcity. When cost, latency and geographic limits of distribution approach zero, Big Media's claim of penalty on piracy becomes absurd. There is still production costs, true, and that's where I think Big Media should focus on. Make good acting and thought provoking multi-million dollar movies for example, and people will pay for it regardless of distribution. Not many can compete on that level of production cost, so indie videos wouldn't be in the same market. Lose a little control on distribution, and win back a lot in volume, lower distribution cost and good-will.

Now that our servers have settled in Canada where most of our staff is, I'd like to point to a couple Canadian initiatives we support, and I ask for your support also if you are Canadian.

The Canadian Music Creators Coalition (and they Congratulated Industry on Unparalleled Growth in Electronic Music Sales)
Future of Music Coalition (this is international rather than just Canadian, and they have good things to say)
Net Neutrality in Canada (which I have fondly put a a button at the bottom of every page on isohunt.com. Sign their petition)
Slashdot discussions on Canadian copyright politics:
- Canada May Lose Copyright Fair-Use Rights
- Canada's Music Lobby Buys Government Access