Consumers have a right to share music, videos and other digital
content that they have purchased between their computing devices,
and a commercial model needs to be developed that allows them to do
so, Intel chief executive officer Craig Barrett said at the
Consumer Electronics Show.
Intel spends billions of dollars on research and development, files
for thousands of technology patents a year and understands the
value of intellectual property, he said. But consumers have an
"expectation" that they will be able to use content they acquire
legally however they want to.
"There's no simple solution to this," he said. "Law enforcement has
a role to play and anyone who grossly violates anybody's content
should be severely dealt with."
Equipment makers can also help by using technology that limits the
"retransmission" of content. "There also has to be an acceptable
commercial model to let people send content over the Internet,"
Barrett added.
Vendors who sell computers and consumer electronics equipment have
made a small fortune selling gear that allows consumers to record
and share their digital media, but they are battling entertainment
executives who fear that mass piracy will destroy their businesses.