Independent
Correspondent Kerry Butters takes a look at the concept of digital ownership in
an age where downloading the latest number 1 is more frequent than buying a CD.
What does this mean to the consumer and who owns what?
The
increasingly connected world that we live in is revolutionising the publishing,
music and film industries and we now have access to a wealth of digital content
via streaming services, buying music in MP3 format and a huge range of eBooks
available to us.
However, as
this type of content is not tangible, not physical, consumers at the moment
effectively don’t own the content they buy. They are merely paying for the
privilege to use it as long as they have one copy of it.
So what does
this mean to the average user? Is it likely to mean that we’ll never fully go
digital, as we want to consume entertainment products in a different way that
means we retain ownership?
Many book
lovers have now made the swap from buying physical books to eBooks; however,
owning an eBook means that you can’t go to your local second-hand shop and sell
it on, nor can you lend it to a friend or leave it to your children. People who
read like owning books; they discuss
plots with other like-minded individuals and they like to swap and borrow.
Whilst it’s
been observed by many that traditional publishing houses and newspapers are
feeling the pinch, can eBooks ever replace the real thing? Not really, at least
not while it’s likely that you will never be able to download one in a format
that means you can share with your friends legally.
Music and Video
A music and
film collection is also important to many people and many people pay for the
latter through subscription services in a similar way as they would from a
rental store. iTunes and the emergence of the iPod changed the way that music
was marketed forever, you can of course also rent movies and TV shows through
iTunes.
When Napster
were taken offline, Steve Jobs at Apple saw a wonderful opportunity to combine
technology with the music industry and eventually, he convinced music bosses
from the big record labels around to his way of thinking. Now, everyone can
carry their music with them wherever they go, but again, they can’t share with
friends and family.
Of course,
iTunes is not the only option open to people for the purchase of eBooks, music
and movies. Amazon has a huge eBook ecosystem and has announced that they are
to launch their library service in the UK, which allows users to borrow an
eBook for up to a month. This includes the ability to choose from some of the
very latest titles such as the new J K Rowling book and read a book before they
buy.
There are
other ways in which consumers can ingest material such as LoveFilm, a digital
rental service that allows users to rent out films in a similar way to physical
stores such as Blockbuster rented out DVDs. Netflix, which recently launched in
the UK, also provides a similar service.
Google Play
are likewise emerging as a big player on the digital content scene and many of
the films that can be downloaded on the Play Store are newer titles such as the
recent Joss Whedon films Cabin in the Woods and the Avengers. Google Play also has
a huge range of apps and music available.
For TV, free services such as Crackle are emerging, which
allows users to watch TV shows and movies online. This may not carry the latest
titles, but it is a useful service nonetheless for those who want to watch a
show before forking out cash for the box sets.
Music-wise,
let’s not forget Spotify, which recently launched in the US and has been
successful in the UK. Spotify has millions of tracks available and has a free
version, which includes advertising, or a subscription service, which allows
you to download tunes and put them on other devices.
All of the
above goes some way to proving that people are perfectly willing to pay for
digital content if it’s made available to them, cutting down piracy and
boosting the creative industries.
The digital question
However, the
problem is that many people want a digital copy of a film that
they own, especially as they can now watch it on a variety of devices such as
tablets, smartphones and USB-enabled televisions. A digital copy is easy to
move around the home, the whole family can watch at their leisure, on their own
device.
It’s the same
with eBooks. Book lovers know as much as
the ‘real thing’ smells, feels and looks better than an eBook, they do have a
tendency to take up a lot of room. Unless you happen to live in a house which
can stock an extensive library then, an eBook collection is invaluable.
Any business
will tell you that it’s all about supply and demand and right now, people the
world over are demanding better and better access to online content. They’re
demanding the right to be able to use the content in a manner that’s convenient
and useful and that they have the right to own what they buy.
Bearing this
in mind, it’s likely to be only a matter of time before the ownership of
digital content comes prominently to the fore as not many people currently realise
that they don’t own the content they buy.
A landmark
case in the US is to be heard very soon for a swap-shop-like service for music,
in which software verifies that the MP3 is a legally-owned copy and ensuring
that the file is only sold on once by any one individual. Could we see laws changing should the case be successful
for software and website authors?
In the UK,
the Hargreaves Report addresses this issue and points out that ownership laws
should of course protect the creative industry, whilst at the same time giving
consumers what they want and need in the modern world.
This
article reflects the opinion of the author only. If you have any comments or
feedback, drop us a line at [email protected].