It doesn't take a computer guru these days to tell you that the recording industry has a, um, mixed view of opportunities opened by technology. We've all heard about the heavy-handed lawsuits lobbed at college students and, on occasion, schoolgirls. And then there's the restrictive digital-rights management (DRM) that limits how you can listen to mp3 files you've paid good money for.
So when the band Radiohead announced last year it was offering up its latest album for download, and asking listeners to pay whatever they felt it was worth, the move was heralded by many in the anti-DRM camp as a visionary move that embraced new technology and ways of thinking.
Well, it turns out the record companies may just have a better grasp of human nature. The Radiohead album was widely pirated and not often paid for. Now the band is saying it probably won't do that again. Here's the story, from the Web site bit-tech.net.
What does this mean for libraries? Well, probably whatever someone making an argument wants it to mean, just like our current state of confusion. As companies race to get content online for library patrons, they often stumble over their own feet trying to manage DRM and content-protection schemes. It's a situation no one enjoys, but, if Radiohead's experience is typical of that of a content creator, is perhaps a necessary evil.
So when the band Radiohead announced last year it was offering up its latest album for download, and asking listeners to pay whatever they felt it was worth, the move was heralded by many in the anti-DRM camp as a visionary move that embraced new technology and ways of thinking.
Well, it turns out the record companies may just have a better grasp of human nature. The Radiohead album was widely pirated and not often paid for. Now the band is saying it probably won't do that again. Here's the story, from the Web site bit-tech.net.
What does this mean for libraries? Well, probably whatever someone making an argument wants it to mean, just like our current state of confusion. As companies race to get content online for library patrons, they often stumble over their own feet trying to manage DRM and content-protection schemes. It's a situation no one enjoys, but, if Radiohead's experience is typical of that of a content creator, is perhaps a necessary evil.
No comments:
Post a Comment