GSlusher

Google, Microsoft and News Corp. Fight While Consumers Stay Anchored to Free Content

The "rewards" idea for newspapers is used by audible.com. If you pay for a year's membership--24 audiobooks for $229.50, you get a complimentary daily audio version of the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. (I had written, "free," but "complimentary" is what audible.com uses and it fits better.)

Why Microsoft's Google-Blocking Plan Won't Work

How is Google "stealing" content? They don't present content, but give links to content. If Fox's subscription system is so weak that non-payers can enter free through Google links, that's not Google's problem but Fox's.

I've not used Fox's subscription service, but plenty of others have presented a login page when linking to paid content.


On Nov 25 12:21 PM c smith wrote:

> You state that GOOG brings value to Murdoch instead of the other
> way around. What about the content which people are willing to pay
> for BEYOND a willingness to consume advertising? This content should
> continue to be paid for, and GOOG is stealing it. When you "link"
> to something that a large number of people already pay for, you don't
> add value, you subtract it. This is why Murdoch's idea has merit

Apple's iTunes Chump Change for Hollywood

"Chump change"? What should happen to an executive who turns down millions of dollars in pure profit? Distributing the programs via the iTunes Store probably costs the networks nothing or next to nothing. (At most, it requires them to convert the programs to downloadable format, which may take a few minutes per episode.) The revenue they get is, therefore, essentially pure profit or "net revenue," as chano wrote. If you're serious about being in business, you don't turn down sources of revenue, especially if they don't add to your costs.

By the same logic, NBC, for example, shouldn't bother selling ads on a college bowl game, as that is just "chump change" compared to GE's market cap.

Music Downloads: You Can't Regulate One Industry and Leave Another Alone

Interesting that the author admits to behavior that, in some countries (e.g., the US), may be a crime punishable by fine and/or jail, not to mention a civil tort. (When you download via Bit Torrent, you may also be "publishing" copyright files because of the way Bit Torrent works.)

As for playing iTunes Store music on devices other than iPods, Fred seems to be behind the times, ignorant or deceptive. One can LEGALLY burn CDs from a "playlist" on iTunes, including songs purchased through the iTunes Store, as has been the case since the iTunes Store was opened.

What Does Quality Online Video Look Like?

My cable service fails your criteria for "quality online video" in several ways. Over-the- air tv is even worse.