Quote:
Originally Posted by barryem
There's a pretty big difference in apple pie and music or ebooks. Apple pie is a physical thing. Music and ebooks are not.
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Of course, an eBook is no substitute for a good apple pie either
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But from a marketing point of view they are similar in having the characteristic of potential customers being able to very easily produce ones own copy/pie rather than buying one. So my point was pie makers have successfully developed a marketing strategy where most people now prefer to buy a pie rather than make their own pie, and that in an environment without the advantage of having artificial legal barriers to people making their own (as book and music rights holders do with respect to copying).
It is all about strategy, should one create a market where ones place in it is predominantly focussed on being protected by legal barriers, or should one create a market where customers want your products even if they can easily make/copy them themselves. I think all the evidence is that the former results in poorly produced products and potential customers seeking substitute products (e.g. poorly produced eBooks and illicit downloads, sound familiar?).