>>9
>Intellectual Property Czar Daniel Marti
>Intellectual Property Czar
I didn't even know this was a thing.
It's interesting that the MPAA and its cohorts are willing to continually shift strategies to try to bust pirates–they rarely go after individuals anymore, since harassing single moms and 15-year-old kids made for bad press–but they're not willing to reexamine their fundamental business model.
Basically, the MPAA and RIAA got used to a business model that was the result of a historical fluke. Before the advent of the phonograph and, later, record players, if you wanted to hear music, you either had to make it yourself, or know someone who did, or go to a concert. And live music was a big thing.
After technology allowed the creation of recording media which could be recorded once, mass produced, then sold over and over again, the music industry was created and became addicted to that model. Now that further technological advances have allowed ordinary people to share music, the industry wants to find legal means to preserve their antiquated business model.
Same thing for the MPAA. Before films, you had to attend a play to see a performance. With the advent of film, they could record a "play", make copies of it, and send it to moviehouses all over the country. The film industry railed against the VCR, even though it was a net gain for them in the end.
I'm surprised the article didn't refer to the TPP. If that passes, that's probably the real threat: the Congress will be obligated to provide more effective copyright enforcement means for big business to stay compliant with the TPP provisions.