A copyright proponent's wish for the presidential debate (Q&A)

A copyright proponent's wish for the presidential debate (Q&A)
The goal of technology companies is to stuff their pockets with money, said Robert Levine. "Venture capitalists may -- I haven't confirmed this -- also want to make money," Levine told snickering audience members, who were mostly from book publishing, during a panel discussion last March at the On Copyright conference. What Levine wants to know is why everyone in tech gets upset when musicians and filmmakers try to earn a living. Levine has become a notable proponent of copyright and a defender of protecting the work of artists. Since the publication last year of his book, "Free Ride: How the Internet is Destroying the Culture Business," which is now out on paperback, Levine has become the creative sector's answer to Mike Masnick, the noted publisher of Techdirt and a prominent critic of the entertainment industry and current copyright laws. U.S. President Barack Obama has previously promised to fight online piracy and protect the country's intellectual property. With the president and Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, scheduled to debate in just a few hours, Levine shared some of what he wishes the candidates would discuss if the topic of Internet piracy ever comes up.Q: This president has said he wanted to support copyright and do battle against piracy. Has he made good?Levine: The answer would have to be a little bit of both. I'm a business and culture journalist, so my insight into politics isn't perfect, but I know there's enormous pressure on Obama from both sides. On the one hand, you have the entertainment business, which is a traditional Democrat power base and donates accordingly. On the other hand, you have Google and other technology companies, which define themselves as progressive -- wrongly, since they seem to dislike regulation as much as Romney -- that are spending an enormous amount of money as well. Everyone is in favor of a free and open Internet, but I'm not sure what that means. (Generally, when used in D.C., it seems to mean an Internet that's regulated to favor Google.) Some of the issues involved in this are obviously extremely important, and I'm not making light of them, but I think it's important to talk about them with some specificity. How do you rate President Obama's action or inaction during the SOPA and PIPA debate?Levine: I think he did what was practical -- withdrew his support once it was clear the law wouldn't go through. Look, SOPA and PIPA had huge flaws. I think they also had some interesting ideas, and that they could have been the starting point for a productive discussion. Certainly, once the amendment process got underway, things seemed headed in that direction. Why didn't this happen? I think there's plenty of blame to go around. On one hand, you have an entertainment business that tried to get the bills through using a process that wasn't open enough. It was shameful. On the other, you had technology lobbyists who misrepresented what was in the bills -- which was also dishonest. And the fact that the bills were so long and complicated meant they were open to misinterpretation. I'm not sure Obama could have made much of a difference.If the candidates were to speak about copyright, what would youwant them to say about Web piracy?Levine: I'd want them to say something nuanced, but I don't think that will happen. Some politicians will tell you that any time you download an MP3 without paying for it, this is theft and you're a horrible, immoral person. Others will tell you that this is somehow really innovative. Some say that every download represents a lost sale; others say file-sharing fuels music purchases. All of these ideas are really pretty silly. It's a lot more complex than that. I don't know very many people seriously involved in these issues who think that piracy doesn't hurt sales -- they just argue over how much. I think we need to establish boundaries that can limit commercial-scale piracy like what you see on the Pirate Bay. But I don't think that means we ought to be suing individuals -- it's just not effective. I'd love to see politicians talk about this issue like serious adults. But based on the past few months, that might be a lot to ask during this election. Harvey Weinstein, one of the best known indie film producers in Hollywood, went off the other day about piracy. He said piracy is hurting the industry. Do you think the film sector is heading the same way as music?Levine: To some extent. If you look at box office receipts, as technology lobbyists do, the film business looks pretty healthy. But that's not the movie business -- it represents about a quarter of the revenue for the average film. (The percentages vary, but you get the idea.) If you look at the DVD business, which is really important, it's just dying. Digital rentals are doing OK, but sales aren't. So the film business has a problem. That said, I think it will fare better than music, since it has more digital retailers to do business with. The labels only have iTunes, and now Spotify -- the studios have iTunes, Amazon, and Netflix, plus the UltraViolet initiative and other ideas that they're still working on. That will help them enormously. You have become a spokesman for copyright owners, certainly as muchas Mike Masnick is a spokesman for the copy left. When everyone seems to be dumping on copyright owners, why do you defend them?Levine: I would defend the idea of copyright, if only because the vast majority of evidence suggests that, first, it's helpful, and, second, many of the attacks on it come from the self-interest of technology companies. When I talk about the idea of copyright I mean the idea, not the current laws -- I think copyright lasts too long and covers too much, but I do think artists have a natural right to their work. That's a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, not something that comes from the MPAA.Obviously, there's a world of difference between the idea of copyright and the behavior of media companies. Media companies are motivated by their desire to make money -- same as technology companies, same as all companies -- but copyright gives creators a way to negotiate with them. The contracts that result often leave much to be desired, but that has more to do with an imbalance of negotiating power than copyright. If creators didn't have any rights to their work, they'd have nothing to sell -- a far worse situation than what we're seeing now.

How to send your favorite iPhone picture on a postcard

How to send your favorite iPhone picture on a postcard
We recently covered the launch of Postagram, an iPhone app that allows you to send your Instagram pictures as a postcard via snail mail. This simple guide will walk you through using both your Instagram pictures as well as the pictures stored in your iPhone's photo album with the Postagram app.Screenshot by Jason CiprianiThe first thing you will need to do is download Postagram from the App Store (iTunes Link).Screenshot by Jason CiprianiAfter Postagram is installed you will be presented with the home screen. Here you can pick whether you want to use a picture from your Instagram account, or a picture from your iPhone's photo album.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani If you choose to use Instagram, you will have to authorize Postagram access to your account. Simply login to Instagram authorization page in the app, scroll to the bottom of the screen and select yes. You will then be presented with all of the pictures you have uploaded to Instagram, select one. If you chose to use your iPhone's photo album, the next screen will present you with your photo album. Navigate to the picture you wish to use, select it. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiThe next screen will allow you to edit the message that is sent on your postcard. You are only allowed 140 characters for your message, so make sure to keep it short and personal. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiOnce you have refined your message, press next. You will then be presented with a screen asking you to set up a Postagram account. Fill out the information requested, and press next. When you have finished setting up your Postagram account, you will be able to enter the address to the lucky recipient of your postcard.Screenshot by Jason CiprianiIf you have sent a postcard to someone previously, his or her name and address will be saved for quick access, or you can select a contact from your address book to populate the fields for you. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiLast you will have to fill out some information regarding your credit card. Apple does not allow vendors to sell physical goods using the App Store, thus your credit card information is required. After your credit card information is entered, press the order button. You will receive an order confirmation e-mail after your order is placed and another e-mail from Postagram once your postcard has been mailed. The postcard should arrive at the recipients door within 2-5 business days. Each postcard will set you back 99 cents.One side note, you can also order a postcard using Postagram's Web site, but keep in mind that only your Instagram photos are currently available for order through the Web site.

Analyst- Apple's 'lifetime' customers locked in and lovin' it

Analyst: Apple's 'lifetime' customers locked in and lovin' it
Those who buy Apple products, keep on buying them and show few signs of stopping, a new analyst report suggests.In a research note sent out to investors today, Toni Sacconaghi of Bernstein Research makes the case that Apple's built up a product platform the likes of a cable company, with many of its customers coming back again and again to re-purchase devices like they would a paid subscription.That may not be such a new idea given the fortune the company's made selling a new version of the the iPod, and now iPhone and iPad every year. But with that in mind, Sacconaghi argues that you can take a look at certain existing sales numbers and draw some conclusions about sales in each product category over the next two years, all based on buying habits and studies on consumer loyalty. "One common concern is the sustainability of iPhone sales and profitability levels in light of the handset industry's competitiveness and transactional nature," Sacconaghi writes. "However, we believe that rather than being a transactional company with volatile revenues, Apple is a platform company with stable, almost annuity-like revenue streams, driven by strong user lock-in."That so called lock-in comes in the form of Apple's platform, which includes iTunes, the App Store, iBookstore, iMessage, iCloud, and Siri. Sacconaghi suggests that because of that, about 90 percent of iPhone buyers intend to repurchase when it's time to buy a new phone. That data comes from both the firm's own study in 2010, as well as one from Strategy Analytics published last October. Sacconaghi does not provide similar data sets and surveys to back up that that's happening with Apple's iPad and Mac business, except to say that they are "similarly high." So how does that work out for each product? The report suggests the following "lifetime value(s)" of each customer--by product--based on data about retention rates, replacement time and Apple's margins on each device type (among other data):iPhone: $700-$900 (replaced every 2 years)Mac: $600-$650 (replaced every 3 years)iPad: $275-$300 (replaced every 3 years)Related storiesiPhone soaks up 75 percent of all mobile phone profitsiPhone 4S propels Apple to massive earningsiPhone 4S pushes Apple into No. 3 spot for global phone salesApple tops in smartphone sales, but Samsung hot on its heelsBased on Bernstein's projections, that works out to a "total lifetime customer value" of $204 billion in revenue for Apple in the end of its fiscal 2012, which Sacconaghi projects to reach $373 billion by the end of fiscal 2014. Throw in Apple's projected cash balance to all that, and you get $548 billion at the end of fiscal 2014, an amount the firm says falls "under conservative assumptions." Sacconaghi notes that there are a number of risks that throw these estimates off. That includes: poor execution down the line, with existing customers jumping to rival platforms; carriers reducing how much they're subsidizing devices and extending contract lengths; and people flat out moving away from phones and computers with something completely different that Apple does not offer."Clearly, if a new technology emerged that challenged or superseded the smartphone (like wireless did to wireline; or arguably satellite did to cable), lifetime values of Apple's customers would be undermined," Sacconaghi said.