Raymond Shih Ray Ku raises something valid to consider. Why not look at the other side of the power of the Internet? It may make copyright material easier to mark and keep track of. The advances in technology provide the ability to encrypt or watermark materials through trusted websites. The advantage of this is that the artists name or record label can follow the file around with it so the credit for the creation remains if not the revenue.
Why Bother?
I think this is a very interesting light to be shined on the capability of the Internet. Before the Internet, piracy was a very basic reproduction of the CD or record and didn't have any attributions to the artists or producing company/record label.
With the ability of watermarking the material we can follow the material around with a digital tag that credits the artist. Yes, the Internet makes it easy to share an infinite number of perfectly reproduced content in a very short time. Yes, there may be a link between the Internet and the increase of music piracy.
However, at least now the artists are gaining credit for the work, if not revenue, where as before they had little recognition. This is the lighter side of the Internet we must recognise in the face of piracy. I thank Raymond for bring this to light.
References:
Ku, R. S. R. (2002). The creative destruction of copyright: Napster and the new economics of digital technology. The University of Chicago Law Review, 69(1), 263-324. Retrieved, April 2, 2011, from Jstor database.
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