The CBC does research: Digital piracy not harming entertainment industries: study

A new study by researchers at the London School of Economics suggests the music and movie industries have been exaggerating the impact digital file sharing has had on their bottom line and found that for some creative industries, copyright infringement might actually be helping boost revenues.

Researchers within the British university’s media department examined sales data and found that the music, gaming, movie and publishing industries are all growing and adopting new business models based on digital sharing.

My take on the study is that consumers didn’t want the format that the media moguls were selling, the same way people stopped buying 8-track, vinyl records, and VHS tapes. People wanted readily accessible forms of media to use on their digital equipment.

Apple developed iTunes to provide that kind of media for its devices, but the media companies refused to invest in the new formats and delivery systems. Once they made their products available in the format that the consumers wanted, they bounced back.

In the meantime they have wasted a lot of time, money, and rhetoric on something that falls below the level of shoplifting at most of the stores that sold the older media, and angered a lot of potential customers.

Tropical Storm Karen is starting to look like pretty weak tea compared to the rest of the country.

Southern California looks set for a major outbreak of Santa Ana winds that will be stronger than Karen’s and may cause or exacerbate fires.

The Northern Plains are under blizzard warnings as a cold front moves through.

The MidWest is preparing for severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes ahead of that front.

Karen seems to be having issues with dry air and wind shear, so it doesn’t look like it will achieve its full potential.

All of this is tied to a massive low pressure system in the center of the US that is pulling down cold air and pushing up warm, moist air.

Have a nice weekend 😉

Position: 26.4N 90.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North-Northwest [340°] near 7 mph [11 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Wind Gusts: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles [220 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1002 mb.

Currently about 205 miles [ 330 km] South-Southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River.

The storm is being affected by dry air from the West and wind shear. The Hurricane Watch has been cancelled.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Morgan City, Louisiana to the mouth of the Pearl River.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for New Orleans, Lake Maurepas, and Lake Pontchartrain; and the mouth of the Pearl River to Indian Pass, Florida.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Weasel Returns

Nomnomnom…

[Editor: While I have caught sight of the Weasel at night, this is the first time in weeks he has been by during the day.]

Friday Ark