Comedian Louis CK's grand experiment with DRM-free $5 video content was a success. Louis CK had offered up $5 downloads of his Live at the Beacon Theater show. Even he admitted, putting it up without DRM was a risk, and one he was advised against.
It should serve as a wake-up call to content providers, who feel that DRM is the only way to be successful. Many have said, including us, that if you give consumers something of value, reasonably priced, they won't pirate it (as much, anyway).
In the post that Louis CK (AKA Louis Szekely) made (and his site is down for quite some time on Wednesday morning PST, perhaps overloaded), the comedian said that,
"... we've sold over 110,000 copies for a total of over $500,000. Minus some money for PayPal charges etc, I have a profit around $200,000 (after taxes $75.58). This is less than I would have been paid by a large company to simply perform the show and let them sell it to you, but they would have charged you about $20 for the video. They would have given you an encrypted and regionally restricted video of limited value, and they would have owned your private information for their own use. They would have withheld international availability indefinitely. This way, you only paid $5, you can use the video any way you want, and you can watch it in Dublin, whatever the city is in Belgium, or Dubai. I got paid nice, and I still own the video (as do you). You never have to join anything, and you never have to hear from us again."
This is precisely the type of "experiment" we'll likely never see from mainstream content providers. You probably won't see the MPAA or RIAA back anything like this.
Naturally, you probably wouldn't see this work for an unknown performer ... Louis CK has a following that probably ensured him decent sales. It's also not as if the video wasn't pirated at all. Just a short time after he posted the video for sale, we found a number of torrents (no, we didn't download any) that had been uploaded to P2P sites.
Louis CK said that he's going to continue the "grand experiment," and possibly even expand it, if it continues to be successful, with everything he wants to distribute sold through his site at very affordable prices.
Karan Johar has revealed his marriage plans to a Dubai-based Bollywood glossy! The bride, supposedly, is a family friend from New York. Her name is Vandana Melwani. All his recent trips to NY to write scripts were to meet his woman.
When we checked with KJo, the normally ebullient filmmaker only managed a "Hmmmm."
Recently, a rumor continues to be making rounds in the Bollywood and Tollywood circuit about the decent beauty Bhumika Chawla going on a divorce from her husband Bharat Thakur, the yoga guru.
Nevertheless, the beautiful girl was responding to this and quashed this as baseless gossip.
Sources say Actress Bhumika has been hectic shooting between Hyderabad, Mumbai, Dubai for business and personal reasons while Bharat was busy in Dubai with his yoga camp. So, that’s curtains fallen on the breakup gossip folks.
There were lots of speculations in recent times regarding Bhoomika Chawala’s marital life. For quite some time now the actress personal life is not going on smoother way and finally it lead for divorce. Buzz is that Bhoomika has filed for divorce papers in the High Court of Mumbai.
Bhoomika is now seeking for divorce from her husband Bharat Thakur. The actress entered wed lock on 21 October 2007 with her long time boyfriend Bharat Thakur, who is also a famous yoga guru. The couple parted ways due to difference of opinions mainly on their business front.
They have launched a production house and also started a yoga School in Dubai with huge capital. Both the businesses failed to make profits and this paved the way for blaming each other. Bhoomika is now looking forward to comeback in south Indian films and start her career. She was seen the film like Roja Kottam, Badri and Jillunu Oru Kaadhal. [WaY]
In December last year, when Salman Khan flew to Dubai to celebrate his birthday and usher the New Year, he took a break from Twitter.
Well, about three weeks passed by and Salman did not tweet, indicating that like Aamir Khan, he, too, had lost interest in social networking. But no! Sallu’s now back and that too with a humor typical of him.
“Arre koi hai ? Itna sannata kyun hai bhai?” Salman tweeted, adding the reason why he hasn’t been tweeting lately.“Pass word bhool gaya tha , badam khaya toh yaad ah gaya,” he posted. Well that wasn’t funny, Sallu.. .. But we’re glad you are back with a bang…
Hot Dubai model Rehana in sexy short mini skirt pics, images and stills. Fresh face model Rehana showing her sexy thunder thighs/legs, masala pictures and photos collection and gallery.
Yesterday Shilpa Shetty spent her wedding anniversary in Dubai with hubby Raj Kundra. They celebrated it at their new home on the 19th floor of the tallest building in the world Burj Khalifa.
A close soruce to the actress says, “Shilpa was thrilled when Raj gave this luxury apartment to her as a gift. This was a wedding anniversary gift for her.”
Raj gave her the keys a week before their anniversary in Mumbai. She had been to Dubai a few months before, and she simply loved the building and expressed her wish of living there.
The couple took a three-day break for celebrating their anniversary. Raj had planned a lot of things for Shilpa along with a lavish dinner and a few surprises along with it. Shetty will be designing the interiors of their new apartment. After this, she will be off to Bangkok to shoot a shampoo commercial.
The sourse further added, “Shilpa suddenly got a 103-degree temperature on Staurday night and a bad attack of pharyngitis. Though the fever was normal till Sunday evening, her voice had gone completely.”
Runaway Pakistan wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider has admitted that he deserted his team midway through a series as he feared for his life and has asked the ICC to monitor suspected players phone calls and movements to eradicate corruption from the game.
In a hurriedly convened press conference at a restaurant in Southall on Wednesday, Haider confirmed that he had met ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit and spoke at length about his decision to abandon his team in the middle of an ODI series against South Africa in Dubai earlier this week after receiving death threats.
“It was very hard for me when I got threats from one person in Dubai. I just felt very nervous that he gave me threats,” he said.
“The best way is to record all the players’ phones and where they are going. I’ve heard back in Pakistan that a lot of people are involved in fixing but I think the ICC is doing a good job,” he said.
“I just want cricket to be clear of any fixing and all bad things,” he added.
Haider reiterated the threat made to him before the fourth ODI against South Africa in Dubai but said the person who issued the warning was not known to him.
“I was told if you work with us, we will give you a lot of money; if not, we will not select you again in cricket and if you go back home, we will kill you and your family,” he said.
“I think they were interested to ‘book’ me for the fourth and fifth ODI.”
The 24-year-old stumper fled to London, where he sought temporary asylum and later retired from international cricket citing threats to his life from match-fixers.
“This country is very humane, very co-operative and there are very nice people here and there are very good rules here for my safety. That’s why I came here,” Haider said.
He, however, insisted that he had no plans of seeking permanent asylum in the UK.
“I don’t want any aid from the British government. I want to be a good citizen and I am a good citizen also in Pakistan. I want to live in peace.”
The 24-year-old stumper refused to accuse any of his team-mates of fixing matches and explained why he took the extreme step without informing anyone.
“I didn’t want to explain all things to my management because if I tell them, maybe it would create problems for my teammates and my management,” Haider said.
He mantained that he was clean and had never involved himself in any wrongdoing.
“Check all my accounts around the world.”
Haider also said that he had a meeting with Pakistan High Commission in London on Wednesday and have sought protection for his family back home.
“I wish they will protect my family because I have two daughters and a wife. So I want to be safe,” he said.
His last release Kites was rejected outright by movie buffs. Understandably, Hrithik Roshan is anxious before the release of Guzaarish.
The film, slated for worldwide release on November 19, released in Dubai on November 16. Prior to its release, Hrithik is anxious as to how the viewers will respond to his portrayal of a magician who, after an accident, is confined to his wheelchair.
“Today Guzaarish release begins with the middle east! Anxious and excited. Sending you all my love! Hope you enjoy it. :),” Hrithik tweeted on Tuesday.
The movie stars Aishwarya Rai as a nurse and Monikangana Dutta as Hrithik’s former love interest. It’s directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
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