Topic: Just thought I'd stop by to show you all something

[gpw11]

http://www.slashfilm.com/article.php/20061116twchomeentertainment

I don't know why either of these companies would want to make it any harder to rent a newly released DVD.  Doing so only makes it more tempting for people to download them...which will get easier and easier for the average user as time goes on.  Nevertheless, they've gone ahead and done it.  How do you think this will all pan out in the long run?  Do you think it'll have any effect on overall DVD rental and sales?

[idolminds]

Blockbuster is scared shitless by Netflix. Doesn't surprise me that they would attempt exclusivity deals with movie makers.

[Quemaqua]

Stupid shit.  Yeah, I can't see this panning out.  I can see a bunch of people just getting pissed off and not renting from them anymore and downloading shit instead.  Not that *I* would ever do such a thing.  Ahem.  But you know.

[scottws]

I've never heard of the Weinstein Company, but this sounds bad.

Honestly, this country is just about in dire need of a revolution.  Our government no longer represents the people.  It represents CEOs, who certainly have no interested in the greater good of America, American society, or the globe.

Shit like the near complete withdrawl of longstanding consumer rights (this, the withdrawl of fair use a la the DMCA), and copyright law being completely abused... whatever happened to the public domain?

[Antares]

Gone, thanks to lawmakers who are xenophobic about technology and flat out don't have the first clue about the products they are trying to regulate.  The result is that large corporations successfully lobby stuff like this and the consumer is faced with a market that is becomming more and more monopoly friendly and less and less like free market capitalism.

I can actually see the parallel between the industrial revolution in the USA where a few wealthy industrialists managed to snap up huge swaths of industry.  The sad thing is that since the anti-monopoly suits agains MS failed, there is no effort from anyone to be a trust buster, and honest consumers are increasingly villified when all we really want is access to goods without any unreasonable barriers.