Also, it would open up the possibility of them being able to invade your personal records or privacy should they even SUSPECT you don’t have a license

Doesn’t this happen anyway when someone gets nabbed for p2p? I don’t think they could invade your records though, why would they? It shouldn’t be government mandated or regulated, so a private company should have no authority in saying, this person doesn’t have a license… how are they going to know, really, unless someone openly states it and yields their real name + location, then the company sends in elite computer spies that cost more money than a settlement would even pay off, just to haxor wifi and an ipod.

With physical media, the advantage was that you ‘owned’ that copy of the pattern and could do with it as you wish under copyright law. With digital media, you don’t even own a license to the pattern

This is the idea, you buy the _right_ to possess the information pattern, that’s it, there’s no copy, they sell you air, and the info is obtained via wild goose chase. If it is somehow revoked and out of the agreement, the consumer has as must right to prosecute as the company; if it is in the agreement then best not to signup (boycott) until it changes.

I’m not saying this is a good idea, but both parties are vulnerable in this situation, and I like that fact. Actually, I still like the idea of masses of ppl sending the actual creators donations, in music this is done via concerts, but for broadcast media there’s no such method.

With physical media, the advantage was that you ‘owned’ that copy of the pattern and could do with it as you wish under copyright law. With digital media, you don’t even own a license to the pattern… and the companies in question are unwilling to reliquish any ‘rights’ to you as a consumer, seeing these as new business opportunities to exploit.

I guess since it’s corporate, they’d want to setup those hidden fees and the right to change, but it’s all about KISS.

Simply, it’s not purchasing a copy or ownership, but the right to possess the information. It’s saying, “yes, this person is allowed to have this specific pattern of information.” It’s total win for the companies, because they’re getting paid, and there is no medium traversal (nothing is physical about the transaction).

Corporate says: We’re not giving you a DVD copy, but if you happen to make a copy of your friends DVD and keep the file, you’ve already paid to have that information, and you’re friend shouldn’t have let you borrow their DVD, but we can’t do jack; again, we’ve already been compensated.