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Music Swappers' Nightmares Come True


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Old 09-03-2004, 16:12
Megson1965
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Firstly we had the introduction of Copy Protection - an understandable if annoying attempt to inhibit piracy. Annoying particularly if your only method of playing your music is the PC or if, like me, you prefer to take copies for the car thus leaving the original CD for indoor use only.

Secondly, we've had the Industry's intervention in the sourcing of product outside the EU - that competitive option for the consumer has been dampened as cut price and discount on-line suppliers are now having to add around a £2 surcharge to products purchased within the EU instead.

Now we have the latest clampdown - on swapping media files over the net. No doubt the impact on the industry has been huge as more and more consumers are reaping the financial benefits of a 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours' culture. Read all about it here. Of course, there have been disbenefits in terms of increased access for hackers and accelerated progress of virulent bugs.

I believe that the majority of folk using these methods are doing so because they no longer believe in further lining the pockets of industry executives when cheaper alternatives are available. True - there will always be fraudsters and pirates. But, the ordinary Joe in the street simply wants to see an equitable business in the trading of CDs. The UK, by and large, pay way over the odds for a CD in the High Street when compared to other countries.

So, what do you think? Has the door, accessed via the World Wide Web and Broadband technology, to the benefits of quick and easy access to previously hidden treasures for music lovers, been closed for good? Will the collective muscle of the consumer win through in the end and demand (quite rightly) that the industry start pricing their product more reasonably and realistically or will we sit back and accept bullying tactics of so called music moguls that dictate that all overheads and inflated percentage cuts of both the company and the artist are passed to the consumer?
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Old 09-03-2004, 17:19
andygrif
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Originally posted by Megson1965
So, what do you think? Has the door, accessed via the World Wide Web and Broadband technology, to the benefits of quick and easy access to previously hidden treasures for music lovers, been closed for good? Will the collective muscle of the consumer win through in the end and demand (quite rightly) that the industry start pricing their product more reasonably and realistically or will we sit back and accept bullying tactics of so called music moguls that dictate that all overheads and inflated percentage cuts of both the company and the artist are passed to the consumer?
Has the door closed? No. This is just a wooly law, and one designed to further the powers of those investigating organised counterfieting operations. These rules are pretty much all in place, it's just that now they are more ambiguous.

There are a couple of things you need to bear in mind:

1. There are too many people to go round bashing the doors down of. The negative publicity would be immense - it was bad enough with the RIAA mounting lawsuits, imagine the mess they would have made of things if they broke your door down too!

2. There is no alternative right now. Until legal download sites become established and widespread, then the industry here cannot really expect consumers not to download music from places they don't want you to.

3. There is allowance in the act (albiet very very wooly) to offer leniency to downloaders. Now what exactly leniency amounts to needs urgent clarification in my book.

Overall the whole copyright business is a big old mess right now, and the BPI don't help. Then the EU come along and make things even less clear. However much, though, we might disagree with the DCMA, it does make sense to have a vaugely transparently similar EU law.
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Old 20-03-2004, 11:07
Megson1965
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Originally Posted by andygrif
Has the door closed? No. This is just a wooly law, and one designed to further the powers of those investigating organised counterfieting operations. These rules are pretty much all in place, it's just that now they are more ambiguous.

There are a couple of things you need to bear in mind:

1. There are too many people to go round bashing the doors down of. The negative publicity would be immense - it was bad enough with the RIAA mounting lawsuits, imagine the mess they would have made of things if they broke your door down too!

2. There is no alternative right now. Until legal download sites become established and widespread, then the industry here cannot really expect consumers not to download music from places they don't want you to.

3. There is allowance in the act (albiet very very wooly) to offer leniency to downloaders. Now what exactly leniency amounts to needs urgent clarification in my book.

Overall the whole copyright business is a big old mess right now, and the BPI don't help. Then the EU come along and make things even less clear. However much, though, we might disagree with the DCMA, it does make sense to have a vaugely transparently similar EU law.
Thanks for your reply - what you say makes sense. I must confess, I'm unfamiliar with the terms of the law regarding downloads. Is there any more info available on this via a link?

I thought there maybe more response to this as this is something that affects us all and surely the day is not far away when 95% of all music is accessed electronically, via PC or (in the future) even TV downloads. Mind you, it sound like the law requires clarity and internet security needs to be more robust before the majority of folk feel comfortable accessing and purchasing music files as opposed to a tangible piece of hardware!
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Old 20-03-2004, 16:07
goody2shoes_23
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I only buy music nowadays if it is a bargain, or I really want the CD. When prices are brought down - then less people will download.
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Old 22-03-2004, 13:53
tracyhay
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surveys have shown that users of ptp networks buy more cd's than those who don't! I for one love a bit of winmx and kazaa lite and also own (actually purchased) over 2000 CD's many of which would never have been bought if i hadn't have downloading some of it to start with. If an artist is good enough, people will buy there stuff.
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Old 22-03-2004, 18:11
mikeydb
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I used to use Audiogalaxy and now occasaionally use win mx, and I have to agree, I bought more CD's while I was heavily using ptp networks than I do now. I'm finding it harder to find good music anywhere lately, and the music on the radio is just a big turn off for me.
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Old 22-03-2004, 19:00
patrick_y
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Originally Posted by tracyhay
surveys have shown that users of ptp networks buy more cd's than those who don't!.
Complately agree with that. Yes I download but if I like what I hear I'll buy it.
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