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BPI wants to ban cheap CD prices in UK! |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 38
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BPI wants to ban cheap CD prices in UK!
Story in MediaGuardian
"Amazon.com, the biggest online retailer in the world, is being investigated by the UK record industry as part of a bid to stop consumers buying cheap CDs imported from abroad. Record industry trade body the British Phonographic Industry is looking at whether the US website breaks the law by selling American CDs to UK consumers at cheaper prices. It is not investigating Amazon.co.uk, which only sells domestically sourced CDs. The development comes as the BPI is preparing a lawsuit against UK-based retailer CDWow, which buys CDs at low prices overseas and distributes them from Hong Kong, undercutting high street stores by selling them at £8.99 each with free delivery. The site has proved a huge success, with annual turnover in excess of £100m, but the BPI argues that CDWow breaks the law by importing CDs from outside the European Economic Area and selling them at cheaper prices than UK retailers without the consent of copyright owners. The case will be heard in the high court next month and CDWow is planning a robust defence, arguing that all necessary copyrights are being paid by CDWow's suppliers and that consent to supply worldwide was given by record companies on a global basis when the business was set up. The BPI has also launched proceedings against Play.com, a Jersey-based online retailer of CDs, DVDs and video games, which operates on a similar basis. Amazon.com could be drawn into the row because it sells CDs to UK customers that are not available in this country and undercuts traditional high street retailers. The BPI could argue that they are acting without the consent of UK record companies. The case has echoes of an earlier high profile court showdown between Tesco and Levi's after the supermarket giant began selling cut-price jeans bought from abroad. Levi-Strauss won that action but CDWow insists there are crucial differences between the two cases. " [COLOR=red]As a regular user of CDWow and Play.com, I think this is absolutely disgraceful. If the BPI didn't charge such rip-off prices for CDs etc, we might buy more of them in the shops.[/COLOR] |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,148
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I heard about the case against CDWow on Radio 1 a few weeks back.
The story is also at http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/34745.html. Perhaps someone should suggest to the UK music industry, that if they dont want grey imports, they should cut the prices of CDs here, or encourage their other foriegn arms to raise their prices instead. But hey, we're the UK, we should pay more, shouldn't we? ![]() "The CD Wow case hits the High Court next month." perhaps someone should organise a CD purchasing boycott the day the trial starts
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 11,539
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Sod the BPI!
They seem hell bent on making this country a ripp off nation! Even if they manage to stop companies from giving us good deals (and increasing the music industry profits while the public loses out) I will still look to import music from countries where it's cheaper. I hope this plan backfires on them if they succeed and that everyone that was buying cheaper imports suddenly turns to P2P and rips off the music instead. I am not saying this is right, or that I would do this, but if they don't want people to download tracks then why not leave imports alone? They are still making money for the items they are selling, just not managing to make as much. I would be up for a national boycot, but I doubt we'd get one. What would be good would be to stop buying for a whole week in protest. If we got the whole of the UK doing this (yeah right) then it would be reflected in the charts etc. and a nice bit of publicity against them and their 'destroy cheap deals for the public' move.
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#4 |
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: In the future....
Posts: 11,259
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There is also a bit about this in The Register - BPI down plays Amazon.com 'illegal importing' probe.
Why cant the BPI just be happy that someone is buying CDs instead of ripping them off on P2P I hope the BPI loose the case against CDWow next month. The BPI really are a buch of headless chickens
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 11,539
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Go to their site at http://www.bpi.co.uk and take note of the first popup window. Surely this is a p*ss take? The BPI actually have the cheek to tell us that we should sign their petition to pay a fair price for music as the VAT is too high on it when compared to other cultural goods! It even says 'give music a break' What about the fact that we can get it cheaper from CDWow and Amazon etc. and they are trying to take action against them??? Quote:
if you love music and want to pay a fair price for it sign our petition
Where's the one for grey imports?In other words they want less VAT on their goods, no grey imports etc. so they can increase profits. Fair enough, everyone wants more profits but this is just greed... |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 11,539
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This is just another case of copyright laws going mad in this country. We are quickly getting out of control and it's got to stop!
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,148
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Quote:
Originally posted by lalaland heh, looks like a pathetic attempt to protray themselves as the good guys and deflect attention, "hey, look, its not our fault CDs are so expensive!". Go to their site at http://www.bpi.co.uk and take note of the first popup window. Surely this is a p*ss take? The BPI actually have the cheek to tell us that we should sign their petition to pay a fair price for music as the VAT is too high on it when compared to other cultural goods! It even says 'give music a break' Must have took them all of half an hour to think that one up. They're bound to know they haven't got a cat in hells chance of getting VAT reduced on CDs. |
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#8 |
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Banned User
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Near Birmingham
Posts: 3,470
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Better Idea
Why don't we organise a purchasing from CDWOW day on the day the high court goes into action??!??!
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#9 |
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Banned User
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: B'ham / Metro Manila
Posts: 20,769
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hmm i buy most of my CDs online from abroad because they arn't available in this country (well not very easily), they wanna stop that too? pah.
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 904
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For gods sake if they didn't charge just ridiculous over inflated prices in the first place we wouldn't have to go looking for cheap CD's and DVD's.
If this suceeds people will just download more music. |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 11,539
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Quote:
Originally posted by grimfandango Exactly! And the more people that turn to the likes of Limewire and Soulseek etc. for their music supply, instead of CDWow etc. (where at least the industry was still be paid for the music) the harder it will be to stop pirating music.If this suceeds people will just download more music. If everyone suddenly started downloading music then how on earth would they stop it? They can't prosecute us all. And even if they take the American approach to tracking and legal action, most of the American cases haven't got very far recently. I am not saying that I would download music illegally, but should they stop the cheap suppliers like CDWow then I suspect there will be a big increase in illegal downloads, so in effect they are hurting themselves as well as stopping the public from getting such a good deal. |
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#12 |
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New Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 2
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Look at the success of things like itunes in the US. Cheap singles (50p) or thereabouts and sales have broken all expectations. It shows people are happy to pay for music at the right price
Rus |
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#13 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dunfermline ♂
Posts: 20,150
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Someone made a very good point on BBC Breakfast this morning pointing out how it is increasingly the case that UK firms are outsourcing things like call centres and production to countries where they can buy the labour cheap but when the GBP tries to do the same thing (buy cheaper abroad) they cry foul.
Double standards, but technically the law is on their side. G |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 11,539
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Quote:
Originally posted by cobaltmale An excellent point! I have to put up with poor service and lack of knowledge and in some case language when I use companys that have foreign call centres to save themselves cash, so why can't they let me save cash by using foreign CDs?Someone made a very good point on BBC Breakfast this morning pointing out how it is increasingly the case that UK firms are outsourcing things like call centres and production to countries where they can buy the labour cheap but when the GBP tries to do the same thing (buy cheaper abroad) they cry foul. Quote:
Originally posted by cobaltmale The law is going out of it's way to protect the profits of these companies while we, the public, suffer the lack of protection that is slowly being removed from us. It seems to be a case of the little person in the street losing out to the big bad company.
Double standards, but technically the law is on their side. |
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#15 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dunfermline ♂
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Quote:
Originally posted by lalaland On the wider point perhaps only companies who employ solely within UK/EU/whatever should be able to complain about consumers buying their product outwith that same area of jurisdiction.An excellent point! I have to put up with poor service and lack of knowledge and in some case language when I use companys that have foreign call centres to save themselves cash, so why can't they let me save cash by using foreign CDs? The law is going out of it's way to protect the profits of these companies while we, the public, suffer the lack of protection that is slowly being removed from us. It seems to be a case of the little person in the street losing out to the big bad company. G |
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#16 |
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Banned User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dundee
Posts: 1,207
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What?!
Amazon Cheap? I can get my CD's for £1. Tell that to the BPI |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: UK
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Quote:
Originally posted by cobaltmale Sounds fair, but the law doesn't normally go with common sense or fair, especially if it means it's chums in the big business end could make more money if it doesn't....On the wider point perhaps only companies who employ solely within UK/EU/whatever should be able to complain about consumers buying their product outwith that same area of jurisdiction. Does anyone know if the BPI employ people outside these areas? I suspect they don't, but would be amusing if they did. |
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#18 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dunfermline ♂
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Quote:
Originally posted by lalaland The BPI is just the body representing the record industry I think. It's made up of people from the record companies.Does anyone know if the BPI employ people outside these areas? I suspect they don't, but would be amusing if they did. Would be interesting to see them prove they do not exploit territories abroad. G |
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#19 |
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Guildford
Posts: 6,028
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Re: BPI wants to ban cheap CD prices in UK!
Quote:
Originally posted by Thanatos More importantly, what we are seeing here is an attempt to pervert international free trade. What the large corporations want is all the benefits of global capitalism:[COLOR=red]As a regular user of CDWow and Play.com, I think this is absolutely disgraceful. If the BPI didn't charge such rip-off prices for CDs etc, we might buy more of them in the shops.[/COLOR] 1. The right to sell their goods everywhere in the world. 2. The right to manufacture their goods wherever it is most economical. 3. The right to register for tax in whatever offshore sewer will cost them the least. while at the same time denying customers and employees the right to behave in a similarly global fashion: 1. By buying goods where they are cheapest. 2. To move freely to whatever country has the best job prospects. 3. The right to register for tax in whatever offshore sewer will cost them the least. Now, some people believe in global capitalism and some people don't. That is fair enough and I can respect people with both views. What I don't respect is people who want to rig the system so that they get all the advantages and the other guy gets all of the disadvantages! So how can we take this forward? My advice is to let your MP know that you are not happy about this. The easiest way to contact your MP is through http://www.faxyourmp.com/ . This is a very nice web page which will tell you who your MP is (from your postcode) and then let you send a fax to them. You will be more likely to get a positive response if you keep your message short, clear and polite. We will have to wait until the courts have had their say but if, as seems likely given the Levis ruling, CD-WOW gets the shaft then we need to start lobbying hard for a change in this unfair law. |
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 11,539
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I for one am definately contacting my local MP. It's time to do something about this rather than just post our frustrations on here, let's get our voices out to those that may be able to make some noise!
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#21 |
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 904
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I have the email address of my MP, just off to send him a message now.
I doubt he will have ever heard of CD wow but he will know all about them soon
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#22 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Darn Sarf
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There are two sides to the argument!
Hang on a minute guys... are all of you who are complaining about this, also in favour of our call centre jobs going to the Far East? Global Capitalism rules? What jobs will go next? How long will it be before unemployment starts to shoot up here as a result? I'm going to play devil's advocate for a minute
![]() The BPI are not *only* acting to keep profits up, they are also acting to keep employment up in the industry in the UK. Unlike industries who outsource jobs to the Far East. And the BPI *are* acting to bring down single prices in the UK (if not albums). Well a bit, anyway! Read this press release from last September (extract): "The two-track CD single The CSC recommendation is that chart rules should define a new CD single format, which offers a simple ‘A’ and ‘B’ side. The rules are as follows: > Two audio tracks only > No more than 10 minutes in total > Standardised singles jewel case packaging > No free gifts or extras > Lower minimum dealer price This to take effect immediately. New content rules for the ‘maxi’ CD The addition of the two-track CD single to the list of format options for singles means the existing CD single effectively becomes a ‘maxi’ CD..." (see the link above for full details). So yes, I like low prices and "imports" like this are fine, in small numbers. But if the BPI think this will start to reduce profits and employment bigtime, they are *duty bound* to their members to try and stop it. I am happy to let the Courts decide if it's legal or not; that's what they are for ![]() Now, as for lobbying to change the Law (if BPI win their case), as suggested by etldlrl, that's *absolutely* the right way to approach this issue
Last edited by d'@ve : 08-01-2004 at 15:01. |
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#23 |
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 11,014
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I don't think the BPI has a hope in hell of winning. If it was America, perhaps they would, but not in Europe.
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#24 |
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 280
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Mind you its great advertising for CDwow & play.com. Did you see todays items on Sky news. Comparisions on cd prices between the net & the highstreet. All this action will do is draw the public's attention to the savings available. The chap on Sky news from CDwow said they only make 60p per cd. The high street will have to reduce their prices to compete or fold. Market forces that can only be good for the consummer.
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#25 |
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Banned User
Join Date: May 2003
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Quote:
Originally posted by raymond901 What?! Amazon Cheap? I can get my CD's for £1. Tell that to the BPI Come on then, do tell
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