$2.1 bn a year for rights! And to movies that aren't even new.

And spottily is paying what $300m/year?

These Hollywood guys must LOVE tech companies.

The only companies about which they need to worry our the ones making better content for cheaper.http://pandawhale.com/convo/8687/silicon-valley-consumer-startups-are-hit-driven-businesses-mark-suster

You would think Hollywood would love tech companies.

But sometimes it doesn't feel that way.

Not sure what idiom or argument suffices to define this, but I think it's a "red herring" or the likes.

Hollywood loves tech because the RIAA and MPAA have leveraged lawmakers to create an unassailable defense against tech companies marginalizing hollywood via owning the content distribution channel.  

What's the last great movie you've seen on FB, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, or App.net? 

I think they cry foul for a few reasons

A) They want silicon valley companies to try to "disrupt them" they then use the law to force those companies to instead pay homage and/or license their content. They sue and utilize FBI to shut down any companies that allow for distribution of said content "illegally."

B) The more they cry foul, the more they can convince lawmakers above that the laws need to be tighter to protect intellectual property. Disney. GE. Viacom. Comcast/NBCUniversal. News Corp. Warners Brother. CBS. These are not small players here.6 media giants control 90% of what we read, watch, or listen to

We see this in the illegal immigration field, btw. Both sides, "left" and "right" realize this country would cease to function without undocumented workers in industries like service, food, hotel, and of course -- agriculture.

Why are they so "fierce" on strict immigration policies. One is to feign toughness on national security issues. But the real reason is to be able to force said undocumented workers into inhumane working conditions, hours, and treatment. With the threat of deportation hanging over the heads of such workers -- and their children, thanks to tough immigration laws -- businesses can than abuse the rights of these workers. Essentially, indentured servitude. By being "tough" on immigration laws, they don't actually want to get rid of undocumented workers, they simply want to strip them of all rights and oppress them to help increase the bottom line. 

I mean, what happens in China when cost of living goes up and all this cheap manufacturing becomes less cheap? Same difference. Business folks here are motivated to keep costs down by hanging on to cheap/forced labor via immigration law. 

Hollywood is no different; they're making money hand over fist, but we already know they have shady accounting practices: http://pandawhale.com/convo/7826/hollywood-accounting-losing-in-the-courts-techdirt

They need to keep playing the victim to "Apple" and "Napsters" of the world while they rake in money from consumers through 360 deals with artists, movies that are as high-grossing as ever, via always on 24/7 on-demand, and through licensing/content deals w/Netflix and Spotify and their ilk.

It's brilliant, and nobody has or will kill hollywood anytime soon. http://ycombinator.com/rfs9.html