Kablammo!

New York Times pieces that are even marginally science/tech-related are notoriously spotty–my college physics professor read the weekly “Science Times” section for its comedy value, and a recent article stated, without a trace of irony, “Having experimented with Half.com five years ago, when the site was new, I knew it offered the easiest, most streamlined interface available to sell used merchandise at fixed prices.” Five years ago, as I recall, Napster still existed, outpost.com offered free overnight shipping on all orders, and pets.com was buying expensive TV spots (and still existed).

Anyway, a recent article appears to have gotten its facts somewhat straighter:

“There is a very dark, black cloud in this game. It’s not in the hands of kids who live next door to you; it’s organized groups and organized crime.”
…
“As of yet, it’s not at a point where you can point to titles being distributed online and say it accounts for the slump at the box office,” said Joe Fleischer, co-founder of BigChampagne. “But physical-goods piracy is a real problem.”

Song of the Moment: «I Want You Back Again» — The Zombies