[WEB4LIB] Sort of Death of the Copyright - cost analysis

[Dobbs, Aaron]

Part of the "mark up" (CD over Cassette) is the "better quality of sound" 
(at least that's how I read the original marketing of CDs anyway).  Now 
that the average consumer is used to paying more for CD than cassette why 
quibble? Take their money. (I assume that's the mindset of the companies)
Shareholders & the bottom line is another way to look at this, if we can 
make more money with less expense we'll make our shareholders happy and 
they're the ones that count - not the consumers.
-Aaron
:-)'
Where ever you are, there you go.
Sorry if I confused with correct spellings of "they're," "their" and "there"


-----Original Message-----
From: HTheyer [mailto:htheyer at pacbell.net]
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 11:13 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Sort of Death of the Copyright - cost analysis


I think the point isn't what the CD costs, it is the question of why does
the same information cost differently in different formats when the format
isn't the issue.  A CD is cheaper to produce than a cassette, but the CD
costs more.  Same music, same photo sleve information, same record company,
same artist, different audience.  The cassette audience will pay $11 while
the CD audience will pay $16+ so whatever the market will bear is charged,
even if it isn't logical or "fair."  If a DVD of a movie has added footage,
different languages, the preview, interview with the director, etc and costs
more than the video without all those things, then that I understand.
Usually the content of the CD and the Cassette are identical.

If in the public library we charged for story hour in Beverly Hills because
the residents there could afford it and would pay it, while other places
don't because the residents can't pay it, does that make it right?

Hillary Theyer


> This will be my last post on this line, but it came to me that the cost of
> putting a CD into a store is much more than the cost of the plastic CD.
We
> have shipping, inventory and lots of people expenses that are not there
when
> it is just a digital file that is sent on the Internet.  The point is that
> if the publishers have an electronic distribution system they have
> confidence in, the real cost will be so low that they can (If they want)
> sell a song for cents.  Books for a dollar or so.  What I think we need is
a
> compromise.  Usually that means putting enough pressure (fear?) to both
> sides and waiting for a treaty of sorts.  Customers can fear jail or fine
> and vendors can fear a total meltdown of copyright.
>
> I don't have any problem with copy protection or encryption if it does not
> get in my way.  But my final thought is that if the cost is right they
will
> distribute and we will buy.  Some sort of micro-payment system would just
be
> icing on the cake.  There have been several who have tried and seem to be
> failing.  This may be what saves them.
>