COPYCENSE

“The continual, almost obsessive reporting about falling attendance at movie theaters this year so shaped the story about Hollywood that even by August the New York Times could report, ‘Hollywood’s box office slum has hardened into a reality.’ But is it Hollywood’s reality?

“Yes, movie attendance in the U.S. was down in 2005, but that is not unusual. … But don’t cry for Hollywood: In 2005, more people than even watched its products — though not in movie houses.

“The fixation on the movie box-office obscures the reality that Hollywood’s real business is not about making movies any more; it is about creating licenseable properties — including TV programs, cartoons, videos, and games — that can be sold in a multitude of markets.”

Edward Jay Epstein. “Hollywood, the Remake.” The Wall Street Journal. Dec. 29, 2005. Page A10.

See also:

Edward Jay Epstein. Hollywood’s New Year. Slate. Dec. 26, 2005.

CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the intersection of business, law and technology. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.