[philwelch]

I like Bell Labs and indestructible black Western Electric telephones, but did they justify the Bell monopoly?

[peterhunt]

Hollywood movies (mostly) don't have interoperability issues or network effects.

[alxp]

They just try to pass laws to make interoperability (format shifting) a criminal offence.

[peterhunt]

You're setting up a false argument here -- they don't do anything to restrict indie filmmakers from distributing their content.

[sesqu]

Actually, a number of people have complained that they do. Very few indie movies are in the same theaters as Hollywood movies, though whether that's effected by the latter depends on who you ask.

[Iv]

By forbidding to use old art for music or even movie extracts, they set the bar higher for independent movie filmmakers.

[philwelch]

No, they just raise money for colluding plutocrats to bribe corrupt politicians into trying to break the Internet.