[WEB4LIB] Re: Death of the Copyright Thread...

[Daniel Messer]

James Cayz <cayz at lib.de.us> said:

> Now, look at CDs.  I can't remember their original prices, but it wasn't
> like $50 or $60 - maybe $25?  But, now we have the technology in place to
> make a copy (still not perfect), in 15-20 minutes, for maybe $1.  The
> price of the original are still $15(?), and still 15:1 or higher.  Drop
> the price of prerecorded CDs to $5 - $7, and I think the "copyright"
> problem would disappear.  Case in point - when was the last time you heard
> anyone copying an AOL signup CD?  Why Bother?
> 
> So, those still standing, answer me this - who loses MOST by lowering the
> cost of CDs 50%?  And why do you think *they* want to protect their profit
> margins?

While I don't think the copyright problem for CDs would disappear at $5 and 
$7 dollars for the real deal, I think you're right that it would 
significantly reduce the number of pirated CDs floating around. But as a 
small correction, if you've got a CD-ROM and a CD-RW drive in the same 
computer and they are connected through a digital link, then the copy that 
you can make of the original WILL be a perfect copy. (Especially if you do it 
on a byte by byte basis.)

I think the only one that loses are the consumers as the recording industry 
shows absolutly no signs what-so-ever of lower the costs of CDs. It's pretty 
much like any big business, they want to have their cake and eat it too. If 
the recording industry actually lowered CDs to a decent price of around $5 to 
$7 a disk, then I don't think ANYONE would lose. The industry might lose some 
profit in the short term, but if prices were lowered, I think more people 
would be able to afford and thus be able to purchase CDs. I know for a fact 
that I would by many more CDs if they were around that cost.

Dan

-- 
The subject in question...
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Daniel Messer
Technologies Instructor
Yakima Valley Regional Library
dmesser at yvrls.lib.wa.us
509-452-8541 ext 712
102 N 3rd St  Yakima, WA  98901
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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
                                         -Hunter S. Thompson