Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment:
I actually welcome the Sturm und Drang I’ve stirred, because it gives me an opportunity to make a larger point…the major content businesses of the world and the most talented creators of that content — music, newspapers, movies and books — have all been seriously harmed by the Internet.
People create content, Mr. Lynton. And that content now lives on the internet. What’s in danger isn’t content, it’s distribution businesses unwilling to work with consumers. And it’s not even clear that bootlegging greatly affects the profits of major distributors.
Sony Pictures’ profits are down 48.9% for the year ending in March—which means that in this worldwide recession, they made only $305 million. [via Techdirt]
Fuck these miserable greedy luddite bastards.
I just shipped my third app for iPhone. I made a conscious decision to spend absolutely zero time on anti-piracy code. (Here’s a rant on that: http://blog.danilocampos.com/2009/05/25/anti-piracy-is-anti-productivity/)
Instead of worrying that someone somewhere will take your stuff, try making incredible stuff that provokes customer loyalty. Infinitely more cash in that.
I pay good, hard earned tax dollars to make sure they keep the sturm drangs clear of debris for when the rains come.
I have personally bought serveral CDs from artists I randomly found by means of downloading copyright-protected content off the internet (yeh, I mean piracy). If I really like an artist (that is, said artist distinguishes him/herself from all the trash pop mediawhorish garbage that producers/labels are obviously willing to spend millions on every year), then I make a point of buying their music.
I buy as much as I can afford. That means that even if I wasn’t downloading music illegaly, I wouldn’t be spending more on music. And since digital copies involve zero production cost, I refuse to believe I am causing any form of loss whatsoever.
I love the fact that labels blame music pirates for killing the industry and effectivly barring the door for newcoming artists, then turn around and continue searching for that next Britney Spears.
When I first happened upon this on HuffPo, I couldn’t believe it. He seriously thinks that, in the case of movies, it’s the studios that create these ‘masterpieces’ rather than destroying the vision of the artists who work for them. It’s time these buggy whip companies; the movie studios and record labels, realized how little they have to offer the consumer anymore and simply got the hell out of the way.
It’s never been about the money. It’s about control.
The film and music industries want to go on perpetually rent-seeking rather than profit-seeking.