The Hollywood anti-piracy machine is steadily growing, and that is good news for the RIAA.  The reason is that the film business eclipses the recording industry in terms of size, and that means its lobby is far more powerful.  Labels are dwarfed by ISPs and outsmarted by terrestrial radio stations on the Hill.  The music business is simply smaller, rife with paralyzing disagreements, and according to some critics, less intelligent than its big studio counterpart.

On that note, when it comes to major label anti-piracy strategies, the results have been mixed at best.  Consumer lawsuits have been ineffective and probably damaging, startups have come-and-gone after paying exorbitant and crippling licensing fees, and ISPs have largely been unwilling to police their networks.  But is Hollywood any closer to figuring out the complex riddles of the digital era – at least in a manner that makes money?

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has been involved in its own high-profile anti-piracy pursuits, including a bull-charge against the Pirate Bay.  But this is an industry that has yet to declare war, and in many ways, Hollywood seems just as vexed as the music industry in terms of its containment strategies.

Perhaps signaling confusion, MPAA chairman Dan Glickman recently announced his intentions to leave the organization in September of 2010, a decision that largely confirms earlier reports.  “My guess is that I’ll end up in the nonprofit or academic world,” Glickman told Politico on Sunday.

A number of different reasons are floating for the exit, though a confused anti-piracy charter appears to be one culprit.  Glickman predecessor Jack Valenti lasted for 38 years, but exited just before disruptive storm clouds started gathering.

Smart move, because this issue could drag Hollywood for the next decade, and devour otherwise-qualified executives in the process.  Just recently, C|Net pointed to the firings of several MPAA executives, including a pair of anti-piracy specialists.  That, according to the report, is part of a “dramatic restructuring of the piracy-fighting operations,” a process that could eventually consume the broader organization and the film industry.

Perhaps Hollywood is doomed to repeat at least some of the mistakes of the music industry, though a bigger anti-piracy gun is great news for the smaller RIAA and its major label members.  On one hand, the whole strategy stinks, and the recording industry (and eventually Hollywood) needs to smash its physical production and control-oriented approach.  But agree or disagree with the strategy, both organizations want protection-oriented support from legislative, legal, and enforcement channels.  In that light, Hollywood could be the perfect set of coattails for the RIAA to ride – if they arrive in time.

Paul Resnikoff, Publisher.