[opendtv] Re: Mobile broadcasters face technical, business hurdles

  • From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 13:20:10 -0500

Tom Barry wrote:

> I have no idea what sort of IP licenses broadcasters currently
> acquire for regular or digital TV. But it is virtually certain
> that many rights holders will claim new negotiations and
> royalties are required any time any changes in distribution
> method are made, no matter what previous contracts may have said
> or which precedents exist.

Probably so, but the wording is so vague that it sounds way out there:

"When asked at a CES panel discussion, a group of Hollywood studio
executives were not familiar with the local TV stations' plans, but
generally agreed broadcasters lack the rights in their existing
contracts to send their content to mobile devices."

I could interpret that to mean that even if new mobile receivers were
using plain old 8T-VSB, the Hollywood studios would get upset. I doubt
that anyone had such misgivings when the first car AM radio was
invented, back in the 1930s or whenever?

> Intellectual property negotiations are a significant source of
> friction in the system. Maybe necessary but certainly costly.
>
> I would love to see a study of what percentage of IP royalties
> and extra transaction costs these days are really paid to
> (falsely) assuage rights holders the new (whatever) distribution
> method won't contribute to further piracy.

Whatever the answer, it would be really good to develop mobile 8T-VSB
receivers, and THEN let's see if anyone complains again.

Bert
 
 
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