Superdistribution. Really??

From: David Herschman

Date: 21 Aug 94 13:09:38 EDT
From: David Herschman &<74014.3021@compuserve.com&>
To: editor &
Cc: Brad Cox &
Subject: Superdistribution. Really??

I read with enthusiasm Brad Cox's recent article in Wired 2.09 regarding Superdistribution. As a software publisher myself, I am obviously interested and excited by new forms of distribution, for the reason that I find the current methods inferior, and I also believe that somewhere in the amorphous concept of "meterware" there is a truly better way. Any method that allows information to flow freely is a step in the right direction. I am struck, however, by certain hangups that I see as a lot larger than Brad Cox suggests.

For one, provided that narrowband distribution is all that we have currently in the mass market, I don't see how meterware is a viable concept regarding CD ROM. As the founder of Virtual Vegas Inc, and entertainment CD ROM publisher as well as a soon-to-be online service provider, it is definitely in our best interest to get our CD ROM's in the hands of as many people who want them, and ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR them. However, in a meterware situation, where a user is billed per viewing, I don't see the economic viability of sending out CD ROM discs to people that want them, before they pay for them. Yes CD's are only about $1.50 to me. But, if 1 million people want them, that is a big cash flow hit.

Also. I'm troubled by the piracy issue in a big way. Any system developed to track billing will be a hot target for piracy. And knowing computer gamers, they will not only discover a way, but spread this new method to all of their friends, over the net. As a publisher, I am in deep trouble in this scenario.

Revenue sharing is also a huge issue. Who is to decide the split? What if it is unfair. In a cable TV situation, revenue sharing is a negotiation between publisher, distributor (TCI) and local operator. Is there a likely scenario in the digital domain? (Note: the people who really should be paying attention to this, and spending bucks to develop it are Ingram Micro and Merisel, big distributors who I'll bet dont have a clue about this, and may find themselves out of the picture.) Where do the steps occur.

ALSO. Mr Cox is incorrect in his example of Macromind Director as being necessary to own to display multimedia documents. Developers who purchase director may distribute a product in run-time form only without charge from Macromedia. You do not need director to view, say, a Virtual Vegas CD ROM any more than you would a short demo distributed over the net. The problems that will arise is with companies like Apple, whose QuickTime software is essential for viewing video. Apple charges developers a $50 fee for Quicktime license, allowing for free unlimited distribution with a CD ROM. But will it be so generous allowing QuickTime distributed on a mass scale over the net. Probably. But we still need their permission.

In summary, we at Virtual Vegas Inc. are quite intrigued by the possibility of meterware and how it can aid and enhance current forms of software distribution. But the issues of piracy and tampering are huge. People are unwilling to tamper with their utility bill because of the perceived notion of huge penalties, coming direct from the federal government, for a relatively small amount of savings. However, with products developed by private enterprise, and with the potential to distribute a tampering method to millions of people who also can use the same method on their PC, there are staggering implications, and publishers can not afford to be watchdogs in this case. I welcome your comments in this regard

David Herschman Founder- Virtual Vegas Inc. / Electromedia Inc.