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Digital Shoplifting in Japan
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 2003 07:28:34 -0400
------ Forwarded Message From: Nathan Cochrane <ncochrane () theage fairfax com au> Reply-To: ncochrane () theage fairfax com au Date: Thu, 03 Jul 2003 17:36:25 +1000 To: "Dave Farber (E-mail)" <dave () farber net> Subject: Digital Shoplifting in Japan Hi Dave
From the "It Had to Happen Eventually" department, people are using their
digital camera-equipped mobile phones to take happy snaps of images in magazines in Japan. The BBC reports bookstores are livid that people would take photos of their pictures and send them on. The BBC notes: The Japanese Magazine Publishers Association says the practice is "information theft" and it wants it stopped. It is the kind of thing that most Japanese young women wouldn't think twice about doing. They might spot a new hairstyle or a new dress in a glossy fashion magazine and they want to know what their friends think - so they take a quick snap with their mobile phone camera and send everybody a picture. But the publishers of those magazines feel they are being cheated out of valuable sales. Frankly, I don't get what the big deal is. Cameras have been attached to devices such as Nintendo's GameBoy for years. Cheap pen-style digital cameras have been around for several years and the new Canon IXUS mini cameras and their ilk deliver print-quality images in something not much bigger than a matchbox. Why is it every time there is a slightly new crimp in an existing technology or process, we have these Chicken Little claims? I think the publishers are missing a great opportunity to encourage people to publicise the contents of the magazines thereby driving sales. Is it really any different than if I look at a picture with my own, infinitely higher-resolution biological eye camera? I don't think so. Another typical example of corporate over-reaction that will drive a bigger wedge between them and their customers, who miss the days when "they were always right". MORE: http://bilskirnir.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_bilskirnir_archive.html#1057217346 52407051 - Nathan Cochrane Deputy IT Editor :Next: The Age and Sydney Morning Herald http://www.next.theage.com.au ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- Digital Shoplifting in Japan Dave Farber (Jul 03)