GristyMcFisty used our news submit to tell us that after years of fighting in courtrooms Hollywood is now working closer together with the consumer electronics
industry. The gadget makers are trying hard to please Hollywood as the latter is
seeking for hardware solutions to protect their precious films and other media:
 "Without good content there, my products are nothing but
furniture or art. So it all falls back on what Hollywood is comfortable
with," said Chris Cudina, national sales and marketing manager for
Samsung's digital set-top box group.
Others contend that such coziness sometimes deprives
consumers of flexibility '” or worse, privacy rights and civil liberties '”
as entertainment companies exert control over how people use creative
works gone digital.
Four years ago, the Motion Picture Association of
America formed a technology unit to ensure that device makers understood
its copy-protection requirements, said Brad Hunt, the association's chief
technical officer.
The two industries argue plenty over the details.
Hollywood wants to control distribution as much as possible while the tech
industry doesn't want anti-piracy safeguards driving up the price or
limiting the appeal of its products.
Recent copy-infringement cases have targeted small
companies that make bleeding-edge technologies. But can the little guys
survive the heat? SONICblue didn't. |
The article adds an interesting comment. Hollywood has become much
like a big buly pushing around the little guys rather than letting the courts
decide..
Source: USATODAY
