Just days after the U.S. Government published a piracy study that pointed out the questionable methods used by some entities to estimate monetary losses from copyright infringement, the RIAA, MPAA and several others are using those same statistics to get a new anti-piracy campaign approved. Details of their Joint Strategic Plan submitted to the US Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator have been released, and it makes for an interesting read.
The submission (PDF) starts off citing how the rampant theft of intellectual property is harming the entertainment industry as well as the United States as a whole, and calls for new solutions to make meaningful inroads into the problem. Proposed methods include everything from bandwidth shaping and throttling, to site blocking and even encouraging users to install anti-piracy software on their own machines that would detect and potentially erase infringing content.
Other non-technological solutions include an educational program for online advertisers, financial payment services providers and the general public to spread awareness of how piracy affects the industry. They also suggest customs officials inquire travelers about any infringing content they -- willingly or not -- are bringing through the border (Like ripped movies on your laptop, the music on your portable player and the book you were reading on the plane).
The document goes on to mention ways of pressuring other countries into toughening up their IP protection laws, and funding new enforcement programs (at the taxpayer's expense) for the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to pro-actively prevent the leaking of summer blockbusters ahead of their debut. Of course, this is nothing more than recommendations, but it serves to show how adamant these organizations are in protecting their business model.
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US video game market back in black, 6% increase on-year
The US video game market returned to growth last month with a 6% increase on-year, according to NPD. The research house says combined hardware, software, and accessory retail sales in March totaled $1.52 billion, up from $1.44 billion in the year-ago period -- though year-to-date figures are still down 7%.
The firm has Nintendo's consoles pegged as the best sellers, with 557,500 Wii systems and 700,800 DS handhelds shipped during the month. Microsoft trailed with 338,400 Xbox 360s moved, and Sony ranked third with 313,900 PlayStation 3s sold. Sony also shifted some 119,900 PSPs and 118,300 PlayStation 2s.
While the company may have lagged in console sales, Sony's name is plastered all over the list of top-selling titles. God of War III was the most purchased at 1.1 million copies, followed by Pokemon SoulSilver Version at 1.02 million units, and the PS3 copy of Final Fantasy XIII was number three.
It's said that cheaper systems helped boost unit volume, with console prices falling by around 16% last month. Software prices were unchanged.
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