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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1536487" data-attributes="member: 143">Great post above, Sigil.  I always appreciate your thoughtful comments on this subject. I think that the old models of distribution of intellectual property (songs, movies, text) are doomed.  Already we see it in music, where the technology for copying and disseminating information have advanced to the point where it's very difficult to stop it.  RIAA's campaign against pirates is rapidly alienating consumers, and is driving a campaign to rewrite laws to enforce strict DRMs that restrict the ability of consumers to use the product.  This too will fail, IMO; if I've seen anything in the last ten years it's the ability of the motivated public to stay one step ahead of such schemes.  I think Sigil hit it on the head, in that the actions of the industry have essentially legitimized piracy in the minds of many (and especially among the young, who are the key demographic in this debate).  The more that the industry is associated with faceless corporations that are motivated primarily by greed, the easier it is for people to rationalize their actions (thus the greater sympathy toward RPG producers, as opposed to movie/music producers, that we see in this thread). Direct distribution of content from producer to consumer is coming, inevitably in my view.  A few changes will drive this:1) Continued expansion of storage capacity and internet transmission speeds, and the dissemination of broadband (and later fiber networks) across the country. 2) Improvement in viewing technology, such as ultra-thin tablet PCs, that make looking at PDFs (and whatever next-generation format that will follow) and other document formats easier and more user-friendly.  I think a big increase in battery technology (or decrease in power consumption) will likely have to happen to ultimately push this technology "over the top" in terms of widespread public acceptance.  Already, though, I have 50 novels in Microsoft Reader format on my PDF, which are easily readable (provided by the Baen Free Library).  3) Widespread public acceptance of a technology/method to make small payments (i.e. a few cents to a few dollars) quickly and easily online.  This exists today but is not yet "mainstream" IMO. It will be interesting to see how the big conglomerates (RIAA, MPAA, etc... or more specifically, their member corporations) fight to keep their dominance over the distribution of intellectual material in an age where the copying, transmission, and viewing of digital material is easy and nearly instantaneous.  Imagine in ten years: when your hard drive can hold 1000 DVD-quality movies, and it takes 6 minutes to download one, which scenario will exist: a comprehensive distribution system that allows you to access ANY content you wish from a vast library for a minor fee, or a heavily regulated, restrictive DRM system that maintains high cost and limited flexibility for consumers?  Let me ask you: which model is more likely to be associated with heavy piracy? The ONLY chance for the IP industries is to be on the cutting edge of this new distribution model, and win back the respect and allegiance of its public.  This public will have an alternative: free content achieved through nominally illegal channels.  There will always be those who will refuse to pay if they can get it for free, but they aren't the people that the companies need to be worried about.</blockquote>

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