[opendtv] Re: TV Technology: The VCR Fades to Black
- From: Albert Manfredi <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2016 00:27:42 -0400
Craig wrote:
Time shifting had little to do with it. The case was brought by Universal
Studios; they did not own a broadcast network at the time, but their
television
studio arm did produce many shows that they sold to the networks.
The courts decided that people had the right to equipment that COULD be used to
infringe on copyright, because it could also be used legally. Recording TV
material for one's own use is legal. And obviously, renting or buying
pre-recorded movies is legal.
https://w2.eff.org/legal/cases/betamax/
Among other things, it says,
"If Sony had asked permission from Hollywood, the Betamax might never have made
it to market (or might have had very different features). It's thanks to the
Betamax ruling that the makers of VCRs and every other technology capable of
infringing and non-infringing uses (e.g., personal computers, CD burners, the
TiVo DVR, Apple's iPod, and Web browsers) can continue to sell their wares
without fear of lawsuits from copyright owners."
Now is it clear? Like I said, sometimes it takes that legal stamp of approval
to remove obstacles erected from the special interests. Internet neutrality
being one such.
Really? What have the "special interests" done to block Internet access and
maintain total control over what TV people can watch?
We saw cable companies trying to keep Netflix out of their cable plants, and we
saw strenuous objections to a neutrality mandate. Craig, only you could
misunderstand (or not care about) the obvious intentions here. And the really
funny part is, they were playing their funny business with Netflix at exactly
the same time that the FCC was debating classifying broadband under Title II.
Talk about bad timing, eh? All they did was add urgency to the whole debate,
get consumers all riled up, which actually forced Tom Wheeler to reverse his
previous stance! (Now, I know we have been around this circle multiple times,
so let's not go back to square one.)
Don't forget, the mail the FCC got on this subject was more than at any other
time, Craig. Oh well, huh? Vox populi est vox dei.
Bottom line, the content congloms have managed this transition well. And Net
a
Neutrality has nothing to do with their success.
And you misunderstand. It is the CONSUMERS that benefitted. That's what you
continue to miss. OBVIOUSLY, Craig, the content congloms would much rather have
had none of this. The congloms would have preferred to keep all the Craigs of
the world safely locked up inside garden walls, paying every month for things
they never use. What could be better for them?
Ultimately, those who develop the content cannot lose out, unless their content
has limited public appeal. We already went over this many times.
Bert
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