> I am not inclined to gloat about the death of the content industry until there's a viable replacement business model. Some things simply have to die, and the

> I am not inclined to gloat about the death of the content industry until there's a viable replacement business model. Some things simply have to die, and the earth where they stood salted thoroughly, before any kind of viable replacement is even thinkable. > the creators cannot recoup their costs, and this content simply won't be made. Guess what, "content" was made for thousands of years before anyone had any notion of copyright. Creative people will continue to create. > you cannot block a river, sunlight, a view, a storm drain, etc. even though they're on your property. The "content industry" as we know it is quite like the air merchant described in PG's essay (http://www.paulgraham.com/property.html http://www.paulgraham.com/property.html). DRM is quite like someone blocking off the sun and then forcing you to buy back the light. Bits are copyable at zero cost; the "air merchants" should be forced to simply suck it up, instead of being allowed to tie everyone's hands in a vain attempt to make water stop being wet.