Scaring Scientists for Fun and Profit

This is one of the coolest new technologies I've seen in a while:

Using high-energy physics to preserve old records

This is about a touchless technology for rebuilding old recordings from devices as old as the Edison Cylinder Phonograph. But I want to focus on the final two paragraphs of the story:

In theory, the process could be used much more widely–perhaps even on the vast collections kept by record companies of original masters and outtakes from recording sessions. But Haber said he and his colleagues are sticking with the archives for now, not wanting to get involved with copyright or ownership issues.

"With all the stuff going on with record industry, I'm not going there," he said.

I think diminishing returns has set in on the recording industry. The RIAA has every right to defend itself and its intellectual property. The question I'm asking is: Isn't there a point where the market, technology, and culture changes enough that you have to evaluate how you do business? There are numerous examples of companies or even whole industries letting the world pass them by before falling into the abyss of irrelevance. The recording industry is dangerously close to that. How much time, energy, and money is spent by the recording industry in the courtroom and trying to hold on to their business model versus helping develop new consumer-friendly products? If the RIAA is not the champion of new, innovative consumer music products, then somebody else will be. So the scientists in this story would rather work with the government than get paid by private companies because of the potential legal ramifications; this should sound the alarm at the RIAA that they have created a culture of fear and they are now hindering growth and development in their own industry.

I'm sure retarding technological advancements is not the RIAA's intention, but they've done it. Much has been written about Napster and its fate as well as the current string of lawsuits targeting consumers. Legally and morally the RIAA has the right to take anybody to court for copyright infringement, but the strategic cost to them doesn't seem part of the formula. I'm not sure if they have calculated what will be won and lost in the next fifty years. They are creating a culture of fear that will transcend their current court victories and they will be playing catch-up to artists and companies who sell directly to consumers without hiding behind the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Who knows, maybe artists will give away music just to sell tickets to live performances and skip the traditional distribution channels altogether. They may even employ a few scientists along the way to preserve their music for future generations to enjoy.

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