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I find it tragic that content distributors like Apple do this kind of strong-arming, to the point of asking for limits on distribution through other channels (and in some cases, exclusive contracts). I understand that I can't force the companies who produce a book, movie, or album to make it legally playable on my TV, computer, tablet, or streaming service of choice. No store has all the content, and in some cases DRM schemes make the content unplayable. There's no guarantee that I can read a particular book on my iPad legally, or put a Britney Spears song on the device in my pocket, or play my movies off a network share on my LG TV. Too bad; the company that paid for the content owns it. However, extortive contracts from the delivery companies add a deleterious force on top of that, like when Netflix or Hulu get exclusive streaming rights to a show and shut the other out. At some deep level, the players in the content game are fighting instead of cooperating. In the future, I hope content producers learn to exploit monetization models where they don't have to be so overbearing about exactly how content is delivered, and in general they promote rather than inhibit distribution of their content. The Internet provides unlimited ways to discover, consume, and purchase content, so rather than a vision of the future, I expect "digital storefronts" like we have now to look archaic. That is, if the customers really do have the power to "demand" a good experience, as Jobs puts it. Otherwise, we're just along for the ride, occasionally pelted by shrapnel from wars between giant corporations. |