Re: Re: A new device. Be still, my heart

From: "Daniel P. B. Smith" 
> 3b. Re: A new device. Be still, my heart
>     Posted by: "joseph harris" [email protected] joe9438
>     Date: Sun Aug 9, 2009 5:58 pm ((PDT))
......
>>
>> Digital seems to mean a great increase in the variety of product,  
>> rather than affecting delivered price or terms. That seems to me a  
>> good deal and a true increase in 'the culture'.
> 
> That's all "jam tomorrow."

Not really - there is undoubtedly more jam to come, but an explosion of titles in the US alone from around 80K in 2002 to 400K+ in 2008 is not something to sniff at. What is most impressive is the way POD in particular, as well as small run offset, have enabled so many books that would never have seen the light of day even a decade ago to find audiences. Massive expansion indeed; and largely dependent on the laws of copyright.

> 
> The content providers have gotten in their licks early 

Nice description. ;-)

when nobody  
> knew what was going on, and have well and truly "stolen the common  
> from the goose." All the changes in laws, power, and customary  
> practice has been to take power and rights away from the consumer and  
> award them to the publishers. There has not been a single victory for  
> the consumer since Sony versus Universal Studios in 1984.

Not arguing in general that there have been many changes. But so there have in every walk of life. We are already very used to the idea that everything is made in China and therefore cheaper; I do not think that will last anyway. 

Most of the newer term extensions have come via audio and vision. I think you have to look at the economics of those areas in some detail. 

I don't defend what has happened particularly, but if you attack the situation you have to decide what end result you want. Blockbuster films, or Blair Witch - a vast array of pop or Got Talent. Quality does cost, and the means of delivering it does not always look either efficient - or sane!

> 
> The publisher get everything up front, and we're supposed to hope  
> "voting with our dollars" in the free market and trying to embarrass  
> Jeff Bezos in blogs is someday going to pry a little bit of it back.

Here you compress a lot of differnt things together. Amazon and Google are trying to do exactly what you complain of; AAP and one or two other associations have effectively caved in like any appeasers licking their lips at the profferred crumbs. All the more reason to support the rightsowner to be i n charge of their own property and so keep the flow as free and right-priced as possible.

Do remember that public domain is not a synonym for 'free'.

> 
> If this goes on, I expect to see public libraries outlawed within my  
> lifetime.
> 

They are already dying from lack of funds unfortunately. We forget that the great expansion of free libraries was largely down to private funding from Carnegie; in both the US and UK. You do have to fight to keep them going. I remember the pay to hire libraries. So the public libraries were still building their offerings within memory.

But you need to choose your targets carefully. The blunderbus approach is far less effective than the rapier. And the pen has a lot of power, don't give up on it. Savour the 1984 debacle. It got through to Bezos, did it not?

Joseph

Joseph Harris  -  Debt Control Man
author: Control Your Debt Crisis on Your Own Terms
blog: http://debtcontrolman.wordpress.com
http://www.controlyourdebtcrisis.co.uk
debt dictionary: http://www.controlyourdebtcrisis.co.uk/debtwiki/



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