Hollywood to Compatibility: Drop Dead!
I'm quite sad at the way things have shaken out in Hollywood. One MIGHT have thought that the content cartel would learn to give a proverbial rat's ass about the people from whom it milks its billions of dollars per year. Instead, it seems as if they are becoming even MOR recalcitrant in the face of consumers who are finally waking up to the idea that they control the playing field. As their silly schemes to prevent us from using the content that we pay for in so many ways, fall before them, rather than embrace those who pay their salaries, some would rather just say damn the torpedoes.
If Mike had told me he was going to be here at this little panel, I might have showed up to cheer him on. But nooooo... so many old friends forget the Psycho Sensei. It seems he did ok without me however.
Hollywood to Compatibility: Drop Dead!: "
The Progress and Freedom Foundation was kind enough to invite me to participate in a panel discussion on Capitol Hill concerning the implications of our victory in the broadcast-flag challenge. I'd expected to get into a debate with some of the other panelists who represented the pro-broadcast-flag contingent, but the news coverage of the event focused on a pair of exchanges between me and two content-industry lobbyists in the audience -- Rick Lane of News Corporation (that is, Fox), and Alec French of NBC/Universal.
Rather than stressing the issue of whether consumers would be able to record TV programs under the broadcast-flag regime (to some extent they'd be able to, if they buy the right equipment), I concentrated instead on the nightmarish consumer-electronics compatibility problems that the scheme as approved by the FCC would cause.
Sarah Stirland of Technology Daily caught one of Rick's more remarkable comments in response to my presentation: 'Compatibility is not a goal.' I have to say, I think there are a few hundred million Americans who probably disagree with him.
The full text of Sarah's story is available only to Tech Daily subscribers, but for blog entries based on Rick's comment, see here, here, and here.
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(Via Godwin's Law - feed.rdf.)