Prediction: More songs, movies on the Internet
WASHINGTON — The music and film industries will continue to offer digital copies of songs and movies online for a price even if they lose a landmark Supreme Court case focusing on consumers who steal copyrighted material over the Internet, those industries’ chief lobbyists said Monday.
“Consumers want a legal, hassle-free, reasonable-cost way to get their products online,” said Dan Glickman, head of the Motion Picture Association of America. “There’s no question you’ll see a lot more opportunity for people in their homes to enjoy music and movies and other creative material.”
Glickman and Mitch Bainwol, chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America, met with editors from The Associated Press on the eve of arguments in the upcoming Supreme Court case, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios v. Grokster.
Glickman also discussed Hollywood’s increasing emphasis on family movies, noting that four of last year’s top five films were rated either PG or PG-13; he said last year’s fifth top film was “The Passion of the Christ,” which was rated R for its graphic portrayal of the crucifixion.
“You don’t want to offer a product that American families find they can’t tolerate,” Glickman said. “Family movies are big sellers. The free market works wonders; the marketplace is the big factor in what the studios decide to go after.”
Regardless of the outcome of the Supreme Court case, Bainwol predicted a rise among Internet music-subscription services, which permit consumers to listen to more than 1 million songs for a flat monthly fee.
“We are doing all the things we should be doing to move into this digital age,” Bainwol said. “That is true no matter what the outcome of Grokster.”
In the Supreme Court case, entertainment companies want the court to permit them to sue manufacturers of file-sharing software popular among computer users for trading music and movies over the Internet.
Lower U.S. courts have twice ruled that such file-sharing software can be used for “substantial” legal purposes, such as giving away free songs, free software or government documents. Citing a 1984 case involving videocassette recorders, they reasoned that the software’s manufacturer was protected from copyright lawsuits based on acts by their customers.