Traditionally, the content production industries (read Music Recording, Movie Production) have had a very cordial relationship with the media using the latter as a distribution vehicle. The advent of the Internet changed equations and for the first time Media was actually considered a threat. Radio and Television were welcomed by content producers but the rise of the Internet has actually witnessed a slew of lawsuits and legal battles with the content producers. From its earliest days, the online media system was organized around the sharing of information between its users, an aspect where it differed significantly from its traditional counterparts. Things turned sour as consumers moved from sharing self-generated content to sharing a copyrighted content. The content industries survive on copyrights and a system violating the same in broad daylight with a different business model everyday is bound to hurt it bad.
The other aspect where Online Media brought in a new mindset was the way content was transmitted. Traditional Media had thrived on the Push model with providers and media houses deciding the content to be aired on radio and television and consumers simply picking from among what was available. With the advent of information sharing over the internet, the line separating the consumer from the provider grew thin and a Pull system came into effect. Consumers would ask for information (forums, chat rooms etc.) and get it within a few minutes. Such was the power of the network.
The content production industries never prepared themselves for such a change. Caught unawares, they could do little but resort to legal battles. The legal battles succeeded for some time till the Dot Com brains came up with new business models finding legal loopholes. With time, they’ve realized that the only way to master the online world is to join it with their own set of business models which try to balance the seeming opposites of Copyright Protection and Information Sharing. Online Music and Video Services are moving towards free access to music and more revenues from advertisements. Advertising is fast eating into Subscription’s share of the revenue pie.
The future has to move towards a pull model of information sharing. The organized industry just needs to figure out how to join the party and be profitable at the same time.
The other aspect where Online Media brought in a new mindset was the way content was transmitted. Traditional Media had thrived on the Push model with providers and media houses deciding the content to be aired on radio and television and consumers simply picking from among what was available. With the advent of information sharing over the internet, the line separating the consumer from the provider grew thin and a Pull system came into effect. Consumers would ask for information (forums, chat rooms etc.) and get it within a few minutes. Such was the power of the network.
The content production industries never prepared themselves for such a change. Caught unawares, they could do little but resort to legal battles. The legal battles succeeded for some time till the Dot Com brains came up with new business models finding legal loopholes. With time, they’ve realized that the only way to master the online world is to join it with their own set of business models which try to balance the seeming opposites of Copyright Protection and Information Sharing. Online Music and Video Services are moving towards free access to music and more revenues from advertisements. Advertising is fast eating into Subscription’s share of the revenue pie.
The future has to move towards a pull model of information sharing. The organized industry just needs to figure out how to join the party and be profitable at the same time.
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