[clue-talk] Steal this film

[Bruce Ediger]

On Wed, 25 Nov 2009, Brian Gibson wrote:

> Which brings up an interesting question.  Should a consumer have to purchase
> another copy not just to put it onto a different device but to have it in a
> new format?  e.g., if you own a tape or LP, should you have to pay again for
> a CD or mp3?  Should you have to pay again to go from standard definition to
> high definition?  How about when UHD comes out?

This strikes me as a dilemma for the media sellers:

*If* they're only licensing it to you, then you should have the ability
to buy music/movie/etc in another format for the price of the physical
media.  Why should you pay for a license over and over again?

*If* they sell it to you outright, you should have the ability to copy
it to whatever media you want.  You bought it, it's yours to do as you
see fit.

And that's why the whole DRM/piracy/infringement thing seems to me
like the MPAA and the RIAA and other *AAs want it both ways: they want
to sell you a license, but treat it as if you bought the physical good,
rather than a license.

But still, I try not to infringe.  I am one of those all-Linux diehards,
I have very rarely purchased music, and I don't like computer or video
games at all.  I don't have a problem with fair use, however.