Why the rights holding industry will die
Sometimes I think I am quite unique (erm, in my opinions :-)), in the sense that I actually believe that copyright and laws protecting rights holders are needed, and should be upheld.
However, twice this weekend I have encountered proof that the rights holding industry won't survive no matter how many laws or police officers we give them.
My first experience was trying to use Spotify while in Switzerland. Now, I don't have the premium edition, but why should that matter? When trying to use it, I get the message that Spotify is not available in my country of location, as the content is not available. Why!?!? Has the recording industry completely missed the fact that people these days travel? And that quite regularly? And that the content I paid for (well, no I didn't as I can't even listen to the advertising) should be available to me where I am?
Secondly, I tried to watch the _clips_ of the Olympic opening ceremony from Swedish TV as I am not in Sweden. Which I can't as the content is only licensed to be shown in Sweden. Can someone remind me what the value of making content available on the net was again - oh yes, it was to have it available where and when I want.
Unless the rights holding industry comes to grip with consumption patters (history indicates they won't), and give at least the people who are trying to pay access to content their operating margins will diminish and I predict that the capital markets will either pull out completely or make the access to capital prohibitly expensive. I doubt that the shortfall will be made up in what they get back from suing their consumers.