Fair Use (was: Re: [plug] Converting Video formats on Linux)

[Chris Griffin]

Harry,

your point is well put and thanks for the link. I was not aware that
it was available (and am surprised that it is). In all likleyhood he
will go and purchase it as the quality of the version we have is very
low, in fact I may purchase it for him as a present. In the meantime I
will continue with what I am doing as  a learning exercise. I do,
however, make the usual observation on the very high price $35.95.
With your average high profile movie this price is normal but if one
is prepared to wait it will eventually drop, sometimes to half it's
original price.
I have a fairly large DVD collection, all legal, all purchased when
the price has dropped. I believe strongly in "doing the right thing".
But I still make the same observation, if they can afford to drop the
price by that much over time, and still be making a good profit, where
then is the fairness in the pricing in the first place?
Just my 2c worth.

Chris
On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 19:02:41 +0800, Harry
<harrymc at decisions-and-designs.com.au> wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 13:25:04 +0800 Chris Griffin <griffinster at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > Many thanks to all, I will try all this tonight and expect that I will
> > now be able to resolve the issue. I should have come here in the first
> > place and saved myself a week and a half of frustration searching for
> > a solution elsewhere.
> 
> A week and a half ??
> 
> Would this have been a useful option:
> http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=722580
> 
> We don't have fair use provisions in Australia yet but the EFA
> have today released a statement to the press urging legislation
> to provide balance to the FTA that we've all been lumbered with.
> 
> http://www.efa.org.au/Publish/PR040818.html
> 
> But even fair use is stretched too thin by "the contents of a VHS tape
> he had borrowed from a friend".
> 
> The irony of the video you have is the lifetime fight by John Harrison
> for the prize that was offered for a solution to the navigational
> problem that his clocks solved. I've seen them at The Royal Observatory
> in Greenwich and they are very beautiful. The story behind them is one
> of abuse of his efforts as their creator.
> 
> By all means learn about the software tools but this example doesn't sit
> well with me, If I'm the only one to admit it, so be it :-\
> 
> Harry
> 
> --
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