Topic 156

contents of digital entertainment, for example, violence, pornography and realism by Roger Maue

There are a lot of issues that is associated the world of digital entertainment that is available on the internet. Digital music is a broad area with sub-categories such as digital music, digital television, and digital video etc. Because of the sub-categories this paper is solely concentrated on digital entertainment on the internet. This could be things such as videos on sites where it is associated with the purpose of entertainment, business, etc. This is commonly seen in pornography sites or other sites set up for the purpose of entertainment such as YouTube or Google Video. There is also the issue of music and files that can be downloaded illegally or legally on the internet that is provided on sites or programs for free. A big issue associated with this area is the legality or content protection that are on the files, programs, and software etc. being distributed on the net.

It was mainly through the gaming world that this whole new technology emerged to expand into other areas making it a whole new realm of entertainment. As gaming programmers began to provide online gaming, the whole online era of entertainment related issues started to spring up too and eventually there was online videos, music, radio, and even TV broadcasts.

The stakeholders includes a diversity of stakeholders, including movie and television studios; music production companies; publishers of books and other written works; broadcasters; computer software companies; and video game makers. There are many large media companies span many of these categories. These groups differ greatly in their business models and approaches to content protection or policies about their products software etc.

Content producers or the stakeholders are deeply concerned about the threat that digital technologies pose to their ability to control the distribution of their works. Millions of people regularly use peer-to-peer programs to download copyrighted songs without paying for them, and the music industry attributes major revenue losses to file sharing. The movie industry fears becoming victim to the same kind of widespread piracy over file-sharing networks.

Arguing that "one can't compete with free," both the music and movie industries believe that file-sharing and other digital copying will destroy their businesses and their artistic control unless stopped. While many feel it is too late to digitally protect music against redistribution, movie and TV studios strongly believe it is both possible and essential to act now to protect their business. Studios are very concerned that if file sharing of high-quality video files becomes common, users will begin to "expect" free movie content, and the studios are anxious to preempt any such video file-sharing "culture."

Content producers are looking smatter technology and digital distribution channels as ways to enable even more focused distribution models. They picture a future in which consumers have many choices in the ways they receive their entertainment, from short-term rental downloads to long-term sales. Without effective protections from digital piracy, these new offerings will not be possible--the studios will not risk exposing their high-value content to widespread unauthorized redistribution. Certain providers of these “free distribution” of the digital contents are apprehended and judged such as Napster. But its impossible to keep track nowadays especially with p2p or peer-to-peer sharing of files over the internet.

Today’s gaming developers have created games that are sold to children (under the age of fourteen) where they are exposed to all these “bad influences” at a young age. Despite controls by certain companies who have take action complaints, others are less responsive but still, the internet is a huge database where there are a lot free contents just ready to be used without payment.

Also the internet has grown too large that is seems impossible to keep exact track of offenders such as those that create all those trackers that track you after you enter a particular site or answered a survey or filled in a form of sort. This is ethically wrong since the kids are innocent and young it gives no right for an adult or person to spoil or corrupt their minds at a young age for it can have lasting effects on the children when they grow older.

There are certain times when advertisements on the internet such as pop ups are aimed a children with luring tricks such as winning a certain amount of money with the flashy and colorful display or the advert that says more fun games or free products of popular cartoon characters. If caught (which is impossible) these culprits could be tried and if they have other associates then there can be prosecuted by the courts under the cyberlaw rule of conduct for misuse or causing harm to the internet users. Some people or groups have been told to shut down their operations on the internet or to become legal and operate.


Bibliography:
http://www.cdt.org/publications/copyright-matrix.shtml
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/filter?func=viewSubmission&sid=966&wid=379
http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/culturewatch/2006/0108.asp
http://a423.g.akamai.net/7/423/1788/43bc8f824bb529/www.tivo.com/pdfs/whitepaper/wp_overview.pdf