Audible.com's CEO Speaks (Writes)

[Brian]

Don Katz, CEO and founder of Audible.com has written an interesting article at paidContent.org titled Price and Volume in the Emergent Digital Marketplace.

There's also a great article on the history of Audible.com by Don Katz called Going Audible, and I strongly recommend reading all of Don Katz's contributions at paidContent.org if you are a mobile content enthusiast. He has some very interesting insight about all forms of digital content, not just audiobooks. <SUGGESTION>Maybe MobileRead should contact him and see if he'd like to contribute here!</SUGGESTION>

As a long time Audible.com Basic listener, I find many of his comments spot on. In particular, his comment about commuters listening to newspapers and magazines while driving to work is right on the money: I listen to The Morning Read from the Wall Street Journal and MIT's Technology Review. I find it much more mentally stimulating than listening to Imus or Stern .

He touches on some hot topics in the article such as pricing, royalties, ebooks and the paid content model. Steven Levy, a Newsweek writer who interviewed Katz, also wrote another article for Newsweek iPod Nation about the iPod's effect on digital music. Some of his comments in the transcript of a discussion about the article also have some startling tidbits and observations.

Ames, IA: The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider a bill Thursday that would hold technology companies liable for any product they make that encourages people to steal copyright materials. Critics say the bill would effectively outlaw peer-to-peer networks and prohibit the development of new technologies, including devices like the iPod.

Do You Think This New Law Is A Good Idea??

Steven Levy: This INDUCE Act is one more clueless anti-consumer monstrosity coming from Congress, which, in my humble opinion, has been using copyright law to slow down the progess of technology to the detriment of the public, all in the service of special interests. Though presumably this act would affect only peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa, I spoke to Rep. Rick Boucher, one of the few Congress critters who really gets this stuff, who confirmed to me that in theory the iPod would be outlawed if this bill were passed in its current format. You could even make an argument that it would outlaw the PC, as it "induces" people to copy files whether or not they are copyrighted. Feh.

OK people, it's time to join the EFF and contact your Congressmen and Senators if you haven't done so already! Here's a Wired article on the INDUCE Act. It appears to be stuck in Committee, let's help keep it there.

Brian

PS There's a copy of Steve Levy's article at Newsweek available here.