"Eric Woudenberg, Minidisc.org Editor" wrote:
> Right! While I appreciate your bravery Michael, the sad fact is that
> we (the users) are not permitted to decide which features and
> conveniences modern audio gear will have. Not even the manufacturers
> can. In this day and age the decision has been given over to the RIAA
> and their friends in Congress.
The RIAA may have been started to improve the quality of recorded music, I
don't know. but one thing that I do know is that it has turned in to a
lobby that is against the consumer and will stop at nothing to prevent the
wealthy interests that they represent from losing a nickel.
> The only reason people can have so much fun with MP3s and CDs (8cm or
> otherwise) is that PC connectable CDs existed before the Home
> Recording Rights Act. Were it otherwise, CD would certainly be hobbled
> with SCMS (or worse), just as MD is, and DataPlay will be.
>
> Wouldn't you guess it is glaringly obvious to Sony what wonderful
> playtoys fully PC integrated Minidisc recorders would be, and the huge
> market potential they would have? But I take my reading of Sony's
> thinking from the NetMD announcement; the promiment aspect of it is
> not that MD can now be part of the PC audio scene, but rather that it
> will be able to satisfy the digital rights management requirements
> that simply everyone in the PC/Internet audio field is concerning
> themselves with.
I have several additional takes on Sony's motives. The first one may be
way off and is not something that I strongly believe is a factor, but I'll
through it out anyway. Does the patent problem with ATRAC and Dolby make
the use of ATRAC less profitable for Sony?
But my major take is that Sony is now in direct conflict with itself. One
the one side it is a major manufacturer of consumer audio products. But
on the other hand, it is a major producer and distributor of music CDs.
Sony now has to weigh the balance between selling CDs and the potential
loss in income do to people making copies of their music for free using
equipment manufactured by Sony.
I can't remember how long ago Sony acquired CBS/Columbia. If it was way
before they ever had any plans to do so, then SCMS was forced on them.
But if it was after Sony had already bought (or was very sure that they
were going to buy) their record company, They may have been very passive
about SCAM at the least.
In my twisted mind an analogy would be that not very may men are
involuntarily raped by women. You can't rape the willing.
I have posting way too may times on the list this past day. And I would
stop if anyone even hinted that I was hogging the list. But as it turns
out, my posts seem to have raised a great deal of response. Mostly from
people who are disagreeing with me. But in a slow summer period where
days can go buy with very few posts, I may have unintentionally livened up
the board.
Larry
PS just as an aside it occurred to me when I mentioned women, that there
have never been many female members on the list. I guess this kind of
stuff is largely what intelligent, non jock men are interested in. It's
like that Circuit City ad where the husband promises the wife "it will
just be a minute, I know just want I need". Then goes crazy when he sees
all of the stuff and comes out with armfuls of stuff.
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