What The Wireless Carriers Don't Want You To Know About Multimedia Messaging - mms
Multimedia messaging, also known as MMS has been around for a few years now and according to most analysts, will one day overtake text messaging as the top dog in earning data revenue for wireless carriers, operators of mobile networks. Text messaging, also known as SMS has made wireless carriers tens of billions of dollars since its inception so if that prediction pans out that would be a feat of major proportions.
Wireless carriers have invested billions to enable mobile networks to transport multimedia. The ability for one mobile device to transfer multimedia directly to another mobile device is just one result of that investment. However, in the grand scheme of things, this could have huge ramifications regarding peer2peer file sharing and the potential undermining of our copyright systems similar to what happened on the Internet.
As mobile networks evolve more producers will create and distribute commercial MMS peer2peer via mobile networks. In 2007 there were severe restrictions on the size and length of MMS that could be sent and received mobile2mobile on most mobile networks. In 2010 the size and length has tripled, with the exception being the older 2g networks.
If this pace continues we'll be able to send an entire movie from one mobile device directly to another mobile device within the next 5 – 10 years. In fact, Luvdarts LLC, a California producer of MMS reports that its producers have already sent ½ hour videos from one mobile device to another.
Having said that, what the wireless carriers don't want you to know about multimedia messaging is this:
Fundamentally, in the USA, whenever you or anybody else takes a picture (this is only one example, it could be a song or video) that image has copyright protection as it is "fixed" in a tangible form. Some may choose (usually professionals) to add a notice of copyright to the image and some may not (usually consumers). Some may register (usually professionals) those rights with the U.S. Copyright office and some may not. According to U.S. laws, copyright protection subsists in either case. As you share that image via your mobile device you are sharing copyrighted materials.
Now, the wireless carriers have established a multimedia (MMS) pipeline specifically for the purpose of enabling end users to transfer, distribute and publish multimedia (MMS). They have established the MMS pipeline to make money in the form of MMS data revenue. Or, you could rightfully say, they have established the copyrighted materials pipeline to make money in the form of copyrighted materials data revenue.
If you are a consumer that created that image for fun and don't really care about protecting your rights and/or placing a monetary value on your creation, so be it. But what if you are a professional and you do care about those rights? By the way, those rights are also protected by the Constitution of the United States.
To date, wireless carriers have made billions of dollars from other people's copyrighted materials in the form of MMS data revenue. In my opinion this is a great sign of things to come for the future of monetizing peer2peer file sharing on mobile networks. The act of monetizing peer2peer file sharing of copyrighted materials would take the consumer off the hook for perceived piracy as they share copyrighted materials. This act would also take the wireless carriers off the hook for the infringement of others' rights.
Basically a triple win situation would ensue: Copyright law is protected, the copyright holder is justly compensated and the wireless carriers are off the hook for facilitating copyright infringement and profiting from the same.
But, these productive and progressive things will only happen when the wireless carriers fess up to the past and current infringements and also make provisions to fairly compensate those from the past, current and future that want to exercise their rights protected by the U.S. Constitution and current copyright laws.
So, now you know what they don't want you to know. Stand up for your rights. http://datarevenue.org/datarevenue/registerform.html
Wireless carriers have invested billions to enable mobile networks to transport multimedia. The ability for one mobile device to transfer multimedia directly to another mobile device is just one result of that investment. However, in the grand scheme of things, this could have huge ramifications regarding peer2peer file sharing and the potential undermining of our copyright systems similar to what happened on the Internet.
As mobile networks evolve more producers will create and distribute commercial MMS peer2peer via mobile networks. In 2007 there were severe restrictions on the size and length of MMS that could be sent and received mobile2mobile on most mobile networks. In 2010 the size and length has tripled, with the exception being the older 2g networks.
If this pace continues we'll be able to send an entire movie from one mobile device directly to another mobile device within the next 5 – 10 years. In fact, Luvdarts LLC, a California producer of MMS reports that its producers have already sent ½ hour videos from one mobile device to another.
Having said that, what the wireless carriers don't want you to know about multimedia messaging is this:
Fundamentally, in the USA, whenever you or anybody else takes a picture (this is only one example, it could be a song or video) that image has copyright protection as it is "fixed" in a tangible form. Some may choose (usually professionals) to add a notice of copyright to the image and some may not (usually consumers). Some may register (usually professionals) those rights with the U.S. Copyright office and some may not. According to U.S. laws, copyright protection subsists in either case. As you share that image via your mobile device you are sharing copyrighted materials.
Now, the wireless carriers have established a multimedia (MMS) pipeline specifically for the purpose of enabling end users to transfer, distribute and publish multimedia (MMS). They have established the MMS pipeline to make money in the form of MMS data revenue. Or, you could rightfully say, they have established the copyrighted materials pipeline to make money in the form of copyrighted materials data revenue.
If you are a consumer that created that image for fun and don't really care about protecting your rights and/or placing a monetary value on your creation, so be it. But what if you are a professional and you do care about those rights? By the way, those rights are also protected by the Constitution of the United States.
To date, wireless carriers have made billions of dollars from other people's copyrighted materials in the form of MMS data revenue. In my opinion this is a great sign of things to come for the future of monetizing peer2peer file sharing on mobile networks. The act of monetizing peer2peer file sharing of copyrighted materials would take the consumer off the hook for perceived piracy as they share copyrighted materials. This act would also take the wireless carriers off the hook for the infringement of others' rights.
Basically a triple win situation would ensue: Copyright law is protected, the copyright holder is justly compensated and the wireless carriers are off the hook for facilitating copyright infringement and profiting from the same.
But, these productive and progressive things will only happen when the wireless carriers fess up to the past and current infringements and also make provisions to fairly compensate those from the past, current and future that want to exercise their rights protected by the U.S. Constitution and current copyright laws.
So, now you know what they don't want you to know. Stand up for your rights. http://datarevenue.org/datarevenue/registerform.html
