Right now the biggest hurdle is all the inconsistent methods that are being used to try and solve copyright issues. Daily new technologies come out with different yet incompatible methods to try and solve it. Additionally, new methods of enforcement are being used just as often as well. The result: 1. most people are either confused on what is illegal/legal, 2. they do not understand the different technologies, or 3. they simply do not care since there is no clear cut guidelines.
The future will come down to companies finding a standard
method of enforcement. Whether that
method is through new technology or through legal methods. In my opinion, the solution will have to be one
of legal methods for three reasons.
First, with all the new technological solutions, the losers
are the consumers who must pay higher prices to pay for the research and
development that is required to develop these new technologies. At some point consumers will figure it out
and stop paying.
Second, hackers/piraters will always find a way to break new
technology. It may slow down a few
people, but in the end they always mange to find a way around the system
eventually. Even if it is just for the
pure challenge of beating the system.
Third, it is cumbersome and inconvenient. Many of these systems require the user to go
beyond the normal steps to use their media and people will just grow tired of
it. For instance, I recently installed a
copy of Windows XP which required me to call Microsoft and read a very long
number off the screen, then type a similarly long number back into the
system. The whole process took about
20-30 min just to "activate windows" (which is Microsoft's method in
Windows XP to counter piracy).
Therefore the only solution must be with some sort of legal
enforcement which actually convinces people to stop. Maybe a harsh and strict rule, but a method
that is consistent across the board is the most important factor. Most people then at least will pay attention
resulting in comprehension of the rule and actually adhering to it instead of
just ignoring it. Hopefully at that
point breaking copyright laws will be as obvious as speeding.
Comments