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The same things were said about the Cassette.

The same things were said about the VHS.

The same things were said about the Floppy Disk.

Every generation has had to ask itself where the line between Fair Use and copyright infringement should be drawn. After some pomp and circumstance, history tells us that the fair use camp is usually seen as the more benign.

There might be a more general lesson in here somewhere. The fear of change, especially those changes that force us to reevaluate the way we do business is deeply ingrained in our society. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

History Repeats Itself

As much as we find the RIAA and MPAA’s stance distasteful (because it is), it’s the exact same position that organizations like them have always taken in the face of new technologies. They beat their chests, rattle their sabers and eventually good business sense takes over and they adapt to deal with the new climate. The problem is that when you are still sitting in the maelstrom it’s hard to see this perspective.

So, what are we to do?

If you are a music lover, relax. The entertainment industries legal team can only make so many Media Defender sized blunders before the cost in public trust become too high for them to justify.

If you are an activist, keep up the good fight. Someone needs to be out there helping the industry along the path to change. Remember though, keep things in perspective. Our society is wrought with problems, and not being able to burn an extra copy of the Beatles’s White Album ranks pretty low on the list.

If you are with the industry, learn from the past. Maybe you will be a part of the first generation not to make all the same mistakes and instead exploit a new technology for everyone’s benefit. It is possible, you just need to get past the initial shock of a shifting tide.

Just a little something to keep in mind as you go into a new week.

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