I first heard of the RIAA many years ago, when a test LP I was using had a cut labeled "Equalization test, RIAA curve." In other words, they were defining technical standards for the recording industry. Do they still do that? If, as some predict, the RIAA does go belly-up, who will set future technical standards?
I was about to say that defining technical standards would seem to be a non-evil activity, but then I recalled reading somewhere that the CD audio standards were deliberately designed to be incompatible with personal computers. That was supposed to help deter unauthorized copying. If so, it doesn't seem to have worked very well. It may have delayed the inevitable by a couple of Moore's Law cycles, but that's about It.
Speaking of making personal copies from CDs and such, where did the term "ripping" come from? Was it derived from "ripping off", as in stealing? If so, would some more neutral term be preferable?
I also feel that equating unauthorized copying with theft is a false analogy, since nothing disappears from the rightful owner's inventory. In other words, it's like disregarding the difference between copying a file and moving it.
I'd say unauthorized copying is more like unfair competition. Distributing pirate copies of someone else's work puts the pirate in competition with the creator of the work. Since creating a work takes a lot more effort than just copying a few files, the competition isn't fair.
I may have more to say later, but that's about It for now.
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Miscellaneous (but related) Rambling
Date: 2008-01-02 05:09 pm (UTC)I was about to say that defining technical standards would seem to be a non-evil activity, but then I recalled reading somewhere that the CD audio standards were deliberately designed to be incompatible with personal computers. That was supposed to help deter unauthorized copying. If so, it doesn't seem to have worked very well. It may have delayed the inevitable by a couple of Moore's Law cycles, but that's about It.
Speaking of making personal copies from CDs and such, where did the term "ripping" come from? Was it derived from "ripping off", as in stealing? If so, would some more neutral term be preferable?
I also feel that equating unauthorized copying with theft is a false analogy, since nothing disappears from the rightful owner's inventory. In other words, it's like disregarding the difference between copying a file and moving it.
I'd say unauthorized copying is more like unfair competition. Distributing pirate copies of someone else's work puts the pirate in competition with the creator of the work. Since creating a work takes a lot more effort than just copying a few files, the competition isn't fair.
I may have more to say later, but that's about It for now.