Jonathan -
You also probably missed my (look up higher) apology to YOU.
I totally enjoy your input here and look forward to meeting you someday. I predict great things in your future.

Blink-
I think I overheated and have ammended some of my comments to you. If I offended, I apologize.

No - clearly I personally have no problem with your making an additional copy of my work to have in two locations.

My fear, professionally and financially, is the college dorm kid - who without even MEANING to steal my work , or realizing that he is doing that - knocks off a dozen copies of one of my videos, for his classmates. It's gratifiying to know I'm helping out a bunch of kids - hey, that's why I made the video in the first place. It's tough to know that the same kids will pay a hundred bucks a day to sit in classes, but essentially be stealing my work as a resource.

I need protection, so I can afford to make yet another video - be it for entertainment or for education. Saying I should raise the price of my videos even MORE to cover this theft - gosh - isn't there a better way? Like digital resource protection?

How many of my potential viewers am I not getting to already, because of high cost?
Mine is a clearly targeted audience and limited in size. I don't want to punish them for the crimes of others. That is what digital protection is all about. It's not there to hurt you. It's to create an environment whereby artists such as myself can simply be paid for their work. If that work assumes the kind of popularity (for any reason) that millions of people are willing to pay for, then why shouldn't the artist receive the rewards? That's what this country (gloabally speaking, now - "the free world") - is all about, isn't it?

If you stumbled on some great new engineering technique that we ALL could utilize wouldn't you immediately pop a patent on it? And wouldn't you revel in the profits it paid to you? Even if there were millions of dollars rolling in to you every week? And wouldn't you also persue the people that ripped off your patent?

A lot of people stealing just a little bit, still add up to serious lost revenues, and therein lies the problem.

I understand the satisfaction derived in "beating the system". But it's the very system that you are loving that you are beating up.

We are all pioneering participants in the greatest communication revolution since the advent of speech. And this forum is clearly one of the "poster children" for that communication. It's wonderful that I have an adversary in Canada and an allie in Austrailia, and an international audience viewing this whold discourse. It's amazing to have an open, free-flowing discussion on law and ethics and business, right here - with the actual participants communicating - without regard to distance, time zone or cultural distinctions.

What in incredible world we live in.

I DO see your point - I don't agree; for my strictly selfish reasons.

I need to work to eat - your pleasure is my sustenance.

I want to continue producing movies. It's been my passion for my whole life. Clearly some people want to continue viewing my movies. I get checks every week. Not millions, but enough.

There has got to be a solution to this conundrum. I am waiting for it to arrive, so I can afford to continue working. And so are a lot of other people on this particular site.

On behalf of every creative artist in the world, I thank the honest people who willngly give up their hard earned bucks to see our efforts. And I urge you all to reconsider the use and dissemination of "rip-off" technology. It is a self-limiting circle.

In this world, no one can continue to work for free. Further - I believe that if you are skilled or simply lucky enough to appeal to millions of people - then you are entitled to the rewards derived therin.

repsectfully,
v

"I think I overheated and have ammended some of my comments to you. If I offended, I apologize."

Apology accepted, and of course extend that same apology back to you... It's easy to get heated in this kind of thread.

Having said that though, If you look at the number of posts that I have piled into this thread, then I am either a person with a lot of time on my hands, OR... I truly believe in what I am saying. Let me assure you... I DON'T have a lot of time on my hands

Just for the record, red light cameras are legal and I don't believe in them either. This idea to ticket the car for speeding and not the driver ( or rgistered owner as the case may be in your area) makes about as much sense as YOU being arrested for murder when your neighbor borrows your gun and shoots someone. If I had time, I would go get a ticket and march it to the highest court that I could.

I think the copyright laws are bent and skewed. Some may agree, some may not, but for those that don't, you have little right to call me "selfish". If you do, then you have sadly misjudged me, and in a conscious effort to avoid seeing the other side of the coin (my side), I would have to turn that word around and aim it back at you.

I was buying some wine yesterday... the woman accidentally only rang up 2 bottles instead of 3 (no, I'm not an alcoholic... going to an Oscar party!). I was thinking of this post. I had to tell the girl that she only rang up 2. This has really gotten me thinking. If we truly believe in honesty, it can't just be where it benefits our own trade personally; you can't pick and choose where you want to be honest. For those (at least in the USA) who are adamant about copyright honesty, you'd better be making sure you're just as intent on being honest with your accountant/filing taxes before April 15th. You can't cry foul regarding someone ripping your work and then be dishonest with other areas of your life. Otherwise, you're making Blink's point, and it's clear it's just an issue of your own selfishness.

I'm somewhat with DrLumen above. I've heard much about Vic's DVD (and who wouldn't want to support him, with posts like those he just made), and before my next big production I will purchase it. It's not JUST about the $100 though; everytime I watch/read something like his DVD, it makes me think that it also involves purchasing much more equipment that the DVD will show that I don't have but need. For those who it's part-time business/hobby and not a vocation, It just speaks of the "next level" to me.

But also, regarding the price, I guess we're just not used to paying that for a DVD. Just a mindset we've built up paying $14.95 for a DVD @ Wal-Mart. I bought "Visions of Light" on Amazon for $17.99 about 2 months ago, and I haven't even watched that yet!!

James

Seems to be a bit of a communication breakdown here.

I charge quite a bit of money to develop custom databases for a client. The money I charge is fair and reasonable. They incur all the marketing and support costs. If they somehow lost their copy of my work I'd probably not even charge them a dime for another copy on CD and the postage.

Thing is in that one 'sale' my work has been paid for, the first CD cost let's say $10K, the second one zip.

But now they sell that to their clients and for a lot less than $10K per copy. Now they're taking a risk, just like Victor is selling his DVD, you need to sell x copies to cover costs and make a profit.

Now one can argue that if you've paid $100 for Victor's DVD, in other words for the value of the training that you'll get from it and you loose it or the DVD becomes damaged then paying another $100 for a second copy is a bit unfair and I really doubt Victor would disagree. Problem is the administrative costs of doing this, ensuring that only those who'd already paid for a first copy got a second one at cost.

Now there's a bit of a sting in copyright for Victor here though. Once you've watched and learned all it has to teach you, the thing isn't of any real value to you, you can sell it or loan it and Victor doesn't get a dime. There's a loophole in the system that deprives Victor of his just rewards.

And this is very different to a music CD or a DVD of a movie. They both have ongoing value to you. If you've been listening to a CD for a couple of years and it dies it's probably not so unreasonable to have to pay full fare for another copy.

And there's another side to this too, anyone can make a DVD about lighting or post the information on a web site as someone did a very good job of recently. Where does that leave Victor whose spent considerable money making his product, one things for certain he's taken a risk and he could do very badly out of it too. The only way Victor can stay afloat is if his production company has more winners than loosers. There's no guarantees of success in this game so you have to make very good on the ones that win to cover the inevitable losses on the ones that don't.

Bob.

>>>>you can't pick and choose where you want to be honest.<<<

James, agree wholeheartedly. Unfortunately too many people would have accepted their "free" bottle with joy at "beating the system". Guess you're responding to a post I don't see.


EDIT:
>>>>involves purchasing much more equipment that the DVD will show that I don't have but need.<<<

Actually "Light it Right" not only shows you simple techniques for effective photographic lighting, but also instruction on making the lighting unit employed using cheap Home Store bits. So you win all round.

"Actually "Light it Right" not only shows you simple techniques for effective photographic lighting, but also instruction on making the lighting unit employed using cheap Home Store bits. So you win all round."

I still failed at making the lighting rig after all my attempts. I have like 10 thumbs. <shame>