Comedian Louis CK Goes Digital and DRM-Free
American comedian Louis CK has decided to put up his new video from his performance at the Beacon Theater on the internet. He is charging US$5 downloading the content in a simple, DRM-free version and the same amount for those who wish to stream it.
(Source: buy.louisck.net)
The climate for digital rights in the past few months has been hostile to say the least. With SOPA being lobbied for and against, how users access the internet in the future is up for debate. Louis CK, a comedian by profession, is showing how things should be done.
His new special at the Beacon Theater is up for purchase for just US$5 and can be downloaded DRM-free. The entire initiative has been taken by Louis CK himself which is why the low price can be offered. Patrons of the art can rest at ease that purchasing the content from the website will contribute only to the artist since there are no middle-men present.
Using the internet as direct distribution is not a novel idea and Radiohead already dabbled with the format when they released In Rainbows. But what Louis CK seems to have added is a human element. Little touches and courtesies such as the default option for opt-in mailing being set to "No, leave me alone forever, you fat idiot." may seem insignificant but actually go a long way.
To address the fear that DRM free content will be wantonly pirated, Louis CK has posted a small note which can be found here. As the big corporations have found out, piracy cannot be fully eradicated no matter what DRM is employed. Perhaps the best way to proceed would be to work on a "good-faith" agreement of sorts. If your content is competitively priced, DRM-free and boasts high quality, why would anyone want to go through the trouble of pirating it?
Those who want to talk to Louis CK himself and pick his brains over the matter, can head over to his Reddit AmA right now.
Source: Louis CK via All Things D
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