Microsoft learning to share?

In the age of the internet, where intellectual content rights are one of the biggest areas of contention, we have seen a trend that is disturbing. All too often it seems lawsuits are becoming an acceptable means of extracting profit from customers. The biggest culprits in this trend have been the RIAA and MPAA.

The absolute inability to realize that their industries stubborn refusal to find a new way of conducting its business has left them in a position where theft of their products through internet downloads it is widely socially accepted. To make up for lost revenue they file lawsuits against service providers and users.

Microsoft seems to be taking a new tack when it comes to intellectual property. Take the case of Master Chief, the central character in the highly successful Xbox exclusive game series Halo. The video game Unreal Tournament for the competing PS3 console allows users to modify the appearance of characters and it seems that a reproduction Master Chief found his way into the game that way. Microsoft has decided it’s fine with that.

The developers aren’t selling the mod, they’re not monetizing Microsoft’s IP, they’re just creating something to share their love of the Master Chief on a new platform. It’s a great thing for us and a great thing for the gaming community. And much though I love my friends at Epic, Unreal Tournament isn’t Halo. This will also remind people of just how great the Halo games are and remind them that if they’re done with the user-created faux-Halo experience, the real Halo is available only on the Xbox 360.

That’s right, Microsoft is realizing that the reproduction of it’s character actually serves to market what they sell. They have realized that legal battles with customers don’t server their long term business interests. Some day the RIAA and the MPAA will realize that too and find a new way of distributing content that people will be happy enough with to move back away from outright theft.