We live in a converging world. Media are moving one way: content will be digitized! Films, pictures, books, music, games have all gone digital on the web and can be taken down to your computer or other device via the internet or mobile lines. Many people do this now. Efficient techniques like broadband, bittorrent technology makes it possible to find content, often free of charge or some say by stealing it.
There is a growing force to see to it that owners of content get paid, although many business models provide part of content for free. Many free sites exist.
The digital force is with us and we must find good legal solutions to cope with the digital future. Old fashioned laws must be taken into the digital age both nationally and internationally. International conventions etc. often dictate what nations do.
So what is a right approach? Many simple questions come up: Can we take part in file-sharing privately or for business purposes, can you play something off the internett without downloading it, can you share files with your friends and if so how many times, must customers check where files originate, what responsibilities have publishers in assuring their own rights, who owns copies made, does it matter where you store the files, use of links to files with a known owner, what can you print and distribute, the influence of ever new technology, what can be performed publicly, what is fair use or do we replace that with new concepts, allowing search engines to search your content,….
We must also be practical: Can we stop what everybody does, what control mechanisms are there, can new technology aid the management of rights (DRM),
We have to start softly and develop our thinking and practice – it takes time to develop maturity.
This also has to do with new business models, new products, use of new technology, innovative thinking, fair pricing and customer satisfaction. As a foundation we need a right law!
And why not use bittorrent techniques in a fully legalized setting? Think about it.