On 13/03/2008, Tom Loosemore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > In time it'll be able to go back to rights holders and say "look, > > > piracy has not gone through the roof since we launched non-DRM > > > versions of iPlayer, meanwhile usage has gone through the roof (10x > > > increase), we're fighting a losing battle on the iPhone - this is an > > > arms race we can't win, but which delivers negative user benefit. > > > Let's just ditch the DRM for downloads too and see what happens" > > > > > > I'd like to believe in this but it seems like a fairy tale to me. Why > > didn't the BBC go to rights holders with this at the start? > > cos the start was in 2003/4, at which point in time the world looked > very different to both the BBC and to rights holders
Really? The world looked the same to me then, except that the other media industries were yet to adondon DRM. > Maybe I'm a gullible fool, but I'd say the signs are basically > positive - though I can see from your perspective that the BBC isn't > moving fast enough. > ... > Oh, and the way to exert maximum pressure is to question its rights > strategy, not its technology strategy, since the latter follows the > former. That guy left after his job was done; a Director handwaving about "in an ideal world..." shows how little clue he has about the real world of free software; and the last two are minor elements of technology stategy which are going to be "corrected" soon - because, as you say, policy is the real issue here. The BBC policy is that DRM and proprietary software are desirable. That appears to be entrenched. >From my perspective, the BBC is facing one way and talking about "in an ideal world" and "open innovation" while making large, definite steps and official statements of policy in the other direction. My friend Alex uses a similar technique to skip taxi queues, by walking backwards into the front of the line. > * The BBC kinda forgot that it gave the UK huge value when it was > bold enough to act as a leader in media technology To an extent it still is, what with Hackday last year and paying for the big "Over The Air" conference in the next few weeks - but the fact the BBC has restricted mobile iPlayer access as best it can while is spending money on a mobile developer conference is laughable. Whoever ordered the restrictions should be ashamed; I'm sure they'll be the laughing stock of the conference if word gets out who they are... > though i think > there are positive signs here, too, with the public murmurings about > Freeview IP hybrids, and the P2P Next project > http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2008/02/p2p_next.html The Freeview IP hybrid that was demonstrated at the Edinburgh Media Fringe event was crippled with "tivoisation" and DRM was hinted at as the motivation for that. PS: Touche on the blog :-D -- Regards, Dave Personal opinion only. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
