[Trombone-l] Copy protection/DRM

Mon Oct 2 19:46:26 CDT 2006

Outstanding!

Did you know that the pilferage actually has an account in a properly set up 
Chart of Accounts?  Yes.  The important thing is to do like your grocer 
friend and think of every way that you can minimize the cost from that area.

You are also very right to point out that thieves are eternally clever at 
getting around the best systems designed to thwart them.  That doesn't mean 
we don't design things to thwart theives, but it DOES mean that we 
continually have to be a step ahead and to be very mindful of what we are 
going to do to thwart thieves.

I feel that the Recording Industry is in the throes of an adaptation 
situation.  They are gradually coming to the realization that they have a 
couple of things to deal with:  They need to be able to control how things 
are copied, or make copying an insignificant thing, in-and-of itself.  But 
they are using as a business model the same model that Edison created when 
he invented the Edison Cylinder.  They sell the RECORDING.

I believe you are on to something when you point out that the recording 
itself should be very low priced.

Why not view the album or recording like this?

THE RECORDING IS THE BEGINNING OF A RELATIONSHIP

You don't just date somebody once and then forget about them, unless they 
just are not "your cup of tea". . .right?  No.  Instead you get to know 
them. . .really get to know them.  This involves at a minimum several dates.

Well, that is how music should be viewed.  Once somone gets a recording this 
should be a ticket to entry to a website where lots of additional 
information about the band and musicians can be had.  The person feels as 
though they are getting additional "stuff". . .and that is good.  The 
musician is able to give plenty of announcement of the live venues that they 
are headed toward.   The fan can learn much from a properly put together web 
site.  Membership could be free for those who bought the CD.  Then a minimal 
cost per year thereafter (maybe $1 or $2 charge?. . .. if I have ten 
thousand fans paying every year, that ought to cover hosting and maybe some 
dev cost. . .maybe with a "tiered" system for real NUTS. . .who get a much 
greater access for $15 per year)

LIVE VENUE:

Since the live venue is where we are likely to make our money, now that the 
recording business is kind of dead, I'm a little sad to admit that I've got 
a live deal where we really are just helping the venue and not really 
getting a decent pay-deal (they open the bar for the band).  . . .but the 
venue is deserving and I've had good times on this thing, so I'm game to 
keep on doing the once monthly at this restaurant:

I'm playing with Jack Lantz Orchestra at "Frank and Dean's" Restaurant 
tommorow Night.  Those of you in the Pasadena, CA area are invited to come 
out.  The cover charge is very low and the band is good.  The bar is good. 
I've heard some say the food is also good.  I've not eaten there, yet.  I've 
had a drink or two and I'd say the place is a hoot!  Frank, the owner is 
nuts about Frank Sinatra and Sammy and Dino.   We always have a very good 
time.

Chris

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Albert" <jeffalbert.smb at gmail.com>
To: "Charles De Paolo" <chuck at hickeys.com>
Cc: "Trombone List" <trombone-l at server5.samford.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Copy protection/DRM

> On 10/2/06, Charles De Paolo <chuck at hickeys.com> wrote:
>>
>> >> When are record labels going to realize that selling products that
>> >> do less than the consumer expects is not a way to grow
>> >> customer loyalty?
>>
>> Yes.  But what's the point of customer loyalty if noone is buying the
>> product?
>>
>> Might as well sell shoes at Wal*Mart instead of making your art and
>> actually
>> (imagine this) getting PAID for it.
>>
>> Remember that "ripping" derives from "ripping off."  And generally, 
>> that's
>> what happend when copies are made.
>>
>> Too bad, really.
>>
>> --Chuck
>
>
> I'm not sure that the derivation of ripping is as you state.  It's like 
> the
> pianist who thought that comp was short for compose.
>
> Back to the point, I am keenly aware of the idea that the artists and
> producers finances need to be protected.  I have personally financed 
> several
> recording projects, and most of them are still in the red at this point. 
> I
> stand to not only not get paid, but actually lose money when my stuff gets
> ripped off, because I am the one ht put up the financial capital to begin
> with.
>
> I just don't see how making things difficult for the law abiding consumers
> who want to pay for my art puts me in any better position to get paid. 
> Any
> protection schemes that the industry come up with are merely inconvenience
> schemes, and in as much only harm the paying customers, and those are the
> last people I want to harm.
>
> If you can make it come out of speakers, you can copy it, so unless we are
> going to start selling CDs that can't be listened to by anyone, why bother
> the good guys, because the bad guys have the technology to get around the
> inconvenience-ware.
>
> I see a better business model, where I give my loyal fans and customers an
> easy way to do the right thing.  My CD costs $12 plus shipping fom the
> label's website, and we usually sell them for $10 at the shows.  There is 
> no
> DRM, so you can listen to it however you like.  You can download 256k mp3s
> of the whole CD for less than $7.  They are plain old unmolested mp3s, so
> you can listen to them on your iPod or iRiver or whatever you like, or 
> burn
> a disc and play it in your CD player.  The way I see it, if you are cool
> enough to do the right thing and pay for the music, I should be cool 
> enough
> to do the right thing and make it easy for you to listen to the music THAT
> YOU PAID FOR in whatever way you please.
>
> I have a friend that used to own a grocery store.  He said that pilferage 
> is
> a part of the business.  You budget for it and try to keep the number as 
> low
> as possible.  Part of keeping the number down is treating your emplyees
> well, so they will want less to steal from you.
>
> Some people are no good bastards and will steal music regardless of what 
> we
> do.  Some people get it, and realize that buying music is the only way 
> that
> new music gets made in the long term.  I don't want to penalize the good
> folks in an unsucessful effort to stop the bad folks.  I want to make it 
> as
> easy as possible for the good folks to be good, and make it impossible for
> the bad folks to use the "he charges too much" blah blah blah BS excuses. 
> If
> you steal from me, it was a conscious decision to do so, because I have 
> made
> it easy to do the right thing.  If you can live with that, I can.
>
> Jeff
>
>
> -- 
> www.jeffalbert.com
>
> www.scratchmybrain.com
>
> www.pepperenterprises.com
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