1. Kevin Liles shares his
positive and negative insights
on SOPA (Stop Online Privacy
Act) & PIPA (Protect IP Act)
legislation.
PROS
1. These acts are trying to protect some-
thing that the creative community spent
time on, worked hard on, and should be
compensated for. If artists work hard and
invest money to create a good product,
they should be recognized and rewarded.
It's not like Jay-Z and Kanye threw together
Watch The Throne overnight, right?
2. Companies that have been making a
lot of money off the work of others without
their permission would be held respon-
sible and accountable for what happens
on their websites.
3. Even without signing these acts into law,
my hope is that this situation is a wake-up
call that brings both sides to the negotiat-
ing table so deals can be made that create
sustainable business models all around. The
popularity of YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, and
other services shows there's a huge desire
for on-demand, streaming content. So there's
amiddle ground that needs to be reached.
4. These proposed laws are about more
than money. It's about fair consumer trade.
It shouldn't be outrageous to say that if you
value aproduct-whether it's an iPhone, a
new album, or a car-then the people who
spend time, money, and energy creating
that product should be compensated.
CONS
1. Massive file-sharing sites will find a
much more difficult environment in which
to conduct business as usual.
2. The average consumer will probably
see his or her access to music increasingly
shifted to something like an on-demand
service like Spotify or an iTunes-type system.
3. Google is upset about the conse-
quences that something like SOPA would
have on YouTube-which Google owns-if
courts blacklist it as a repeat violator be-
cause users upload copyrighted content
faster than YouTube can pull it down.
4. Because the legal and regulatory
environment is uncertain right now and the
market is still young, companies are hesi-
ltant to sign big deals. Think of it like a bas-
ketball contract-most teams will hesitate
osign anyone to a $100 million contract if
ey've got alot of question marks.
IJar.totbeStreet ~ Ill
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HBCU TV
A new television network could help fund Black colleges.
. .
college will be televised! Scheduled to launch in 2012, a HBCU
television network will corner the market on Black college sports,
providing a new platform for Black entertainment and lifestyle.
According to Clinton Evans, co-founder and Executive Vice President of the
HBCU Network, the general focus of the network is to highlight the legacy of
Black colleges in American history, and keep the viewing public entertained
while doing so. "There are plenty of opportunities to bring the best games
from HBCUs," says Evans. "ESPN broadcasts maybe one-third of the games
being played. " But in keeping the community entertained, the network hopes
to sprinkle in some education as well. "People don't know their history," says
Evans. "HBCUs have graduated more disenfranchised youth than any other
schools, and schools like Howard and North Carolina A&T rank equally with
some of the top schools."
In addition, executives also hope that the network will provide much-needed
financial support to HBCUs. "The network has a unique funding model that
would help the HBCUs financially with them having 20% equity in the network.
That would help HBCUs increase their endowment fund which could lead to
improvements in the schools. We are trying to create long-term financial stability
for the universities," Evans says. "Could you imagine if they would have had
some ownership in a network that sold for billions of dollars?" hints Evans. (Bob
Johnson sold BET to Viacom back in 2001 for a reported $2.34 billion). Evans
also points to HBCU graduates such as Oprah and Bill Cosby for inspiration.
"It's our heritage, our legacy, and our chance." -LutaineCompere
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