Friday, October 28, 2011

Kindle review of Free Ride: How the Internet is Destroying the Culture Business and How the Culture Business can Fight Back

Free Ride: How the Internet is Destroying the Culture Business and How the Culture Business can Fight Back by Robert Levine was something I recently read on my beloved kindle. Anyhow, I know its been reviewed in other places. Anyhow, here goes.
Robert Levine's book looks at the impact of companies like Google, Apple and Piratebay.
Levine discusses how these three companies (as examples) leverage there companies as platforms for music (Apple and Itunes) and Books (google and google news and google books). They do this without producing themselves, but making money via adverts or ipods.
Obviously, Bill Gates Open Letter to Hobbyists in which he wrote:-

Why is this? As the majority of hobbyists must be aware, most of you steal your software. Hardware must be paid for, but software is something to share. Who cares if the people who worked on it get paid?


More recently Pete Townsend underlined this in the John Peel lecture, when call apple 'digital vampires'.

I found the book interesting, and far removed from people like Lawrence Lessig's approach.

I found the book a pretty good read and would certainly recommend it.

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