COPYCENSE

“But when it comes to futuristic visions for the movie business, Hollywood is extraordinarily timid. During my three decades in the industry, I’ve seen film executives try to shun every innovation from VCR’s to digital editing. Ultimately, they’ve accepted and profited from these new technologies but, by waiting years longer than they should have, left a lot of money on the table. And now studios are committing a far costlier error by refusing to release DVD’s and downloads of movies at the same time they make their premieres in theaters.

“Nowadays, the studios are waging a fierce effort to prop up the status quo by denying consumers the choice of how, when and where to see movies. During this year’s Academy Awards, presenters admonished the audience for not going to the multiplexes, as if watching movies at home was somehow anti-American.”

Robert W. Cort. Straight to DVD. The New York Times. May 6, 2006.

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