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Proprietary media formats — time to get rid of them!
Edvard:
f0dder: About those copy-protected disks...
If you see someone doing this, report them to the DRM authorities immediately! :Thmbsup:
CWuestefeld:
Otherwise, why not open source* it? -zridling (June 24, 2008, 09:37 AM)
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R&D costs of algorithms, perhaps? (But hey, most container formats are known, and a lot of the encoding algorithms as well).-f0dder (June 24, 2008, 09:49 AM)
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Competitive advantage? Why shouldn't I be allowed to keep my innovation to myself?
(Of course, that would entail consumer lock-in, and my solution had better be very good to make that worthwhile. But if it's my business, then it's my prerogative to balance the pros and cons of my product.)
CodeTRUCKER:
I don't like the greed associated with the various "protections," but without the ability to maintain a modicum of security over intellectual property, R&D would die.
Isn't it the ability to exercise control over the result of proprietary investment (ROI) the very impetus for additional R&D? If the ability to protect a "better mousetrap" is constrained there is little motivation to design even a better mousetrap, let alone bring it to production.
While DRM, etc is not desirable, until a better protection entity is established for the products, it is a small price to pay to keep the R&D pumps of creative ingenuity churning.
f0dder:
Small price to pay? Keep the R&D pumps churning?
I don't really agree. I'm doing my best to stay away from any media that involves DRM. If I end up not being able to purchase music any longer, I won't - and I won't feel bad about downloading pirated versions, either. If the companies want to hurt the consumers, we should hurt them back... and the only way to do that involves cash... or rather, the lack of it.
CodeTRUCKER:
Small price to pay? Keep the R&D pumps churning?
I don't really agree. I'm doing my best to stay away from any media that involves DRM. If I end up not being able to purchase music any longer, I won't - and I won't feel bad about downloading pirated versions, either. If the companies want to hurt the consumers, we should hurt them back... and the only way to do that involves cash... or rather, the lack of it.
-f0dder (June 24, 2008, 05:42 PM)
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Right. I'm not arguing in favor of DRM or any other lame (nuisance) device. A point here is that it was the very pirating of products that fomented the DRM and their ilk in the first place.
As a producer yourself (music or software - it doesn't matter), if you had no way of protecting yourself against having your work pilfered, essentially acquiring the monies for theives that should have made it to your bank account, there would be no incentive for you to extend your efforts to make the next greatest [fill in the blank].
While proprietary extensions and security devices are clunky, annoying, etc., they are still a vital part of our future enjoyment.
Q: As a "for instance" (albeit, extreme example), what would be the result of everyone not feeling any qualms about acquiring pirated songs?
A: There would be no new music. We would all just enjoy "oldies" because that would be all there was available.
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