[News]
Mark Cuban: Ignore Hollywood!

Mark Cuban is the Chairman of HDNet, the first all-HD, national TV network. In a speech at the NAB conference, he called on broadcasters to "just completely ignore" Hollywood in the fight over digital rights management," calling the studios' fears a "chicken little environment."

Warren's Washington Internet Daily reported on the speech, where Cuban recommended that manufacturers simply continue to ship product, and allow Hollywood to make its own decision to provde content -- "if they don't, there are thousands of content producers who would be happy to take their place."

We sent Mr. Cuban a supportive note, and he elaborated for us:

Hardware and software don't steal content, people steal content. As a copyright owner of TV shows, movies, music, and a sports team, and the co-founder of HDNet, the only all HD TV network, and probably the only individual who has personally invested in accelerating the return of billions of dollars of spectrum to the U.S. government, I think the Hollings bill is probably the biggest single mistake that our government can make.

Piracy is wrong and those who steal should be prosecuted. Increasing the cost of all technology to protect an industry that doesn't need protection is short-sighted and will do nothing but increase the cost of badly-needed computers for our children's education, and negatively impact corporate profits, the stock market and potentially cost jobs across this country.

What I don't understand is why our politicians take their guidance on this topic from an industry that has been accused of unfair employment practices by their own artists, are convicted of price fixing, are accused of antitrust activities, and are continously being audited by their own business partners.

There are laws already that make theft of property or services a crime; let's use them. As a copyright owner, I would rather see the resources and time of our government spent on more important measures rather than trying to protect an industry -- of which I am a part -- that doesn't need protecting.

With Hollywood content still unavailable in HD (pending a government mandate of the broadcast flag, according to Hollywood studios), Mr. Cuban's network is forging ahead, rolling its own programming in digital high-definition and broadcasting on its own network.

The original Fox/News Corp. proposal for the creation of BPDG asserted that "All Copyright Owners Agree on the Desirability of Protected Display Outputs". Perhaps this should have read "All Hollywood Copyright Owners Agree".