[Teo]

In reply to:

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MacWorldUser, ever heard the phrase, "too good to be true."
Well, in this case, it is. Article on legality of allofmp3.com

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I read the article...what's the point of a site like that? I don't really see why people are using it...if they are not (really ) going to pay for the music, they might as well use limewire /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[jacrav]

I would like to make a few comments.
1. Lets not forget what the big headlines were when iTunes GB hit the waves: Independent Labels protest in front of News conference location, call Apple predatory, want ability to reset prices, etc. Apple was put on the spot because the company wanted ONE price, ONE download policy, ONE friendly customer experience, but the independents (which seem to be the majority in GB) were conspicuously absent because their Union Representative was trying to pull for all it could the result ? Everybody complained that there werent enough independents (a weird term in these circumstances ) on the catalog I fail to see where Apples responsibility lies, except as the company was trying to get the best deal not only for itself, but for its customers too the predators were the labels, IMHO.
2. Even though I live in the Caribbean, I can purchase music from the French iTMS, as my Visa card (Sorry, no AMEX) has a French billing address. This policy is different, by the way, from the Apple Stores (which wont sell to me, because I do not live on the mainland )
3. It is well documented that there are no European Union-wide policies regarding music downloads: bargaining is done country by country with the local equivalent of the RIAA.
4. One question to UK consumer rights organizations: do people in GB pay an RIAA/movie industry tax on blank CD-ROMs/iPods/MP3 players/DVD-ROMs, as do the French ? Considering that each CD-ROM you burn in France (even data only) costs you double what it should be, the iTunes CDs you end up burning of your download make the download price much more expensive in the long run /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
The moral of the story is simpy that the European Union is a work-in-progress (I would call it the equivalent of a 1st beta of a MS program /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif( /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Nobody]

The cost of manufacturing an original (aluminum-based) CD or DVD is about half of the cost of a writable one.
If music and movie companies were not so greedy, piracy of music and movies would be a thing of the past.
But do not hold your breath.. Unfortunately they are not clever enough to see the writing on the wall nor this simple way to prevent piracy.
Oh well...

[Teo]

Well, yes...right...
Oh, wait, you are forgetting some costs: recording studio, mastering studio, engineers, programmers, musicians, artist's cut, producer's cut, mixer's cut, cost of buying/arranging a song...also, marketing, radio, CD artwork...
And this is just for music, the costs involved in film making are just ridiculos
I agree that record companies have to rethink their strategies and lower prices, but to say that CDs and DVDs should go for the same price as blanks is BS...

[Nobody]

They could do it. If they wanted.
And then ALL the market would be theirs. Virtually, not a single CD or DVD would be pirated or even copied for fair use. Not a single one. Everybody would buy the original stuff, because it would be so cheap.
Just make numbers and you will see that they could get even more benefits than now, when a large percentage of sales goes to blank disks for legal or illegal copying.
Simply, they do not want to see it. So easy, is in their hands... Only if they wanted... But they prefer to think that they can screw customers with their abusive prices. They are blind. The writing is on the wall and has been for too long to ignore now.
If they keep as blind they will simply miss the main sales. The 100% World Sales! Millions sold every single day. That IS where the money is. Enough to pay all that you mention. And much more! It simply a different marketing approach. Times they are a changing, you know...