IP: Re: WHEN people can easily copy anything digital, who's going to make $100 million movies?

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

>From: dakin@nationalpost.com
>Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 11:12:04 -0400
>To: farber@cis.upenn.edu
>
>
>>
>>
>>>  > >From: "Gillmor, Dan" <DGillmor@sjmercury.com>
>>>  > >To: "'farber@cis.upenn.edu'" <farber@cis.upenn.edu>
>>>  > >
>>>  > >http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/columns/gillmor/docs/dg061100.htm
>>>  > >
>>>  > >WHEN people can easily copy anything digital, who's going to make $100
>>>  > >million movies?
>
>
>William Gibson spoke last week at the TEDCity (www.tedcity.com) conference 
>-- the Canadian version of the Monterey, etc. TEDs -- and, among other 
>things, spoke about how he's trying to develop a new piece of fiction 
>inspired by the example of Napster. (His son is a great Napster user and 
>recently introduced dad to it.) He suggested cultural content producers 
>may be heading back to an era when patronage was the means by which they 
>supported themselves
>
>Here's a bit from a piece that ran in our paper:
>-----
>"We're at the end of a 90-year window where it was possible to make money 
>selling recorded music," Mr. Gibson said.
>Seeing a future where the Napster model is extended to writing, movies, 
>and any other cultural content that could be digitized, Mr. Gibson said 
>people will soon not be able to sell consumer units of intellectual property.
>For a new work of fiction, he has been trying to imagine a method of 
>marketing such works.
>"I find myself trying to come up with alternative models. Mind you, I'm 
>lucky: Mine don't have to work," he said. "As far as I can tell, you're 
>left with patronage."
>----
>
>Full story at:
>http://www.nationalpost.com/news.asp?s2=national&s3=reporter&f=000609/ 
>313072.html
>
>David Akin / Senior technology Reporter
>National Post / dakin@nationalpost.com
>AOL Instant Messenger: DavidAkin2
>VOX: 416.383.2372 / FAX: 416.383.2443
>300-1450 Don Mills Road
>Don Mills / Ontario / CANADA / M3B 3R5