These stories illustrate what can happen when we get ahead of the tech curve , without implementing necessary safeguards .
But we also run into trouble when we fall behind the tech curve . For example : I argue that recent missteps in the US ’ s case against file sharing website Megaupload and its founder Kim Dotcom are symptomatic of one industry ’ s struggle to keep pace with technology .
Look at how the entertainment industry has struggled to cope with the rise of the internet . Consumers are turning away from traditional media channels and instead turning to piracy or cheap / free internetbased alternatives for their music , film and television desires . This upsets the business models of the companies that produce this content , which largely rely on revenue direct from consumers or ad revenue based on audience numbers .
Some companies are adapting to the new landscape formed by these pressures - changing their services or releasing new types of products to sway consumers away from piracy and other free content - but the industry ’ s attempts to stay afloat are often litigious . Rather than rolling with the technological punches , they ’ re on the defensive , unleashing their lawyers in an attempt to dissuade consumers from pirating content or service providers from facilitating such piracy .
Now , there ’ s nothing wrong with a company protecting its interests to the extent allowed by law . But in their zeal , those pursuing Dotcom and his company in the Megaupload case have broken the law several times .
For one , a New Zealand judge ruled that search warrants used to gather evidence related to the case were , in fact , illegal . On top of that , it was later revealed that the New
Zealand intelligence agency , the Government Communications Security Bureau ( GSCB ), unlawfully spied on Dotcom in the years leading up to his arrest . The spying was illegal because the GSCB is forbidden from spying on New Zealanders , and Dotcom gained New Zealand residency in 2010 . The Prime Minister of New Zealand , John Key , apologised to Dotcom for the illegal spying , saying he was “ personally disappointed ” and that the GSCB had “ failed on the most basic of levels ”.
With a couple of exceptions , the film , music and television industries have so far failed to adapt their business models to the internet age . They turn to litigation in an attempt to stall the use of technology , instead of trying to innovate their businesses in order to keep pace with an evolving market .
We stumble when we try to move too fast - but also when we move too slowly . 17
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