[LINK] So this is Christmas and Imagine all thosepeople.....Re: Australia, Second Class Citizens, according to EMI

[Kim Holburn]

On 2011/Dec/16, at 10:52 AM, Tom Koltai wrote:

> 
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au 
>> [mailto:link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Kim Holburn
>> Sent: Thursday, 15 December 2011 10:55 PM
>> To: Link list
>> Subject: Re: [LINK] So this is Christmas and Imagine all 
>> thosepeople.....Re: Australia, Second Class Citizens, according to EMI
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 2011/Dec/14, at 11:27 AM, Tom Koltai wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I am now, actively campaigning for one global standard for 
>> copyright 
>>> to encourage the development of new content.
>> 
>> Personally I can't think of a worse idea.  This is exactly 
>> what the US wants and is pushing, making "free trade" 
>> agreements for:  
>> 
>> One copyright to rule them all.  
>> 
>> AFAIC the more diverse the better, the more ridiculous, the 
>> whole thing is.  
>> 
>> Why should there be one price for something in every country? 
>> Poor people in poor countries have to pay the same price as 
>> rich people in rich countries?  
>> 
> 
> Interestingly, we agree that in the emerging nations, the average
> citizen is unable to pay $0.99 per song.
> 
> Which is why current commercial initiatives in China to digitally
> distribute songs at $0.03 cents per song make sense. (Considering three
> cents is about the earn for the average song for the original musician,
> there would appear to an awful lot of fat going to non-recording artist
> interests.)
> 
> The calculations I have done as to earning capacity, leisure time value,
> cost of bandwidth, cost of bargain bin DVDS sales, value of advertising
> supporting audio and video streaming services, all seem to indicate that
> a price of between 1 cent and two cents per minute is the pricing that
> should be settled on globally.
> A market of 100 million at 24 songs purchased per year at $0.99 equals
> 2.3 billion vs a market of 6 billion at 24 songs at $0.03 equals 4.3
> billion.
> Simple calculation really. 
> 
> For example, in Nigeria, the cost of a DVD (with a movie on it) is
> around $1.00. Piracy is non-existent. However, Nollywood (Nigerian
> Hollywood) is churning out approximately 1500 movies every year. (26
> million homes, x 2 DVD's per night (no Broadcast television or cable
> companies) equals an 18,980,000,000 per annum industry. WITH NO
> PIRACY!!!

Actually I think you mean no copyright law.  

As I understand it Nigeria has no copyright law and a thriving movie ad music industry and lots of pirating/copying of stuff.  Which amazingly seems to encourage creators.

> So the difference between our points of view is not that dramatic, we
> are just haggling over the price.

As an economist you know that the problem with digital things on the internet is that if digital things (ie large numbers, because that is what a digital thing ultimately is) are different prices in different countries then people will arbitrage.  

Rent-seeking digital distribution companies hate this possibility.  They can't stand the idea of someone else making a profit on their goods even if they make a profit also.  

-- 
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
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