MP3.com is spanked

[Psychoholic]

<< I seriously doubt that the RIAA thinks it will eradicate music piracy since it has always been a problem, but if they manage to knock out the big places like Napster, they make piracy a little more difficult and less accessible to casual net users. >>


I agree with you that this is probably their thought pattern, however I think this has gotten way too big to stop through the legal avenues they are trying. Legal loopholes are found and new &quot;music-sharing&quot; sites are opened. It's a losing battle for the RIAA. I believe until they realize they might have to come off of some of their profit, the only ones who are going to win big here are the attorneys.

Personally I don't use Napster or anything similar to it myself. I have installed it once, a year or so ago, to see what it does. I have a security fear with it. Since I use my computer at home mostly for work I don't relish the thoughts of someone finding a security hole in it. Napster itself telling me it's safe doesn't exactly ease my fears either. I get my mp3's the old-fashioned way FTP.

I stay away from pirated software, except in a few cases such as when I have obtained a copy of beta software to use on a test computer. Sometimes I need to see if when a software package is fully available if it would be something to consider buying. I believe that most software that I choose to buy is worth the price I pay for it. Besides, I know way too many people who download pirated software and then call me a few weeks after they install it wanting to know why they have the BSOD or some other issue and how do they correct it.

 

[JellyBaby]

<< I do question the practice of pricing cassettes less than CDs -- I've always wondered about that. Since the material and manufacturing costs of cassettes are higher than CDs, you'd think they'd be priced higher. >>

One reason is because CDs sound so much better -- that's why they're priced higher. People are willing to pay premium prices for a product that's perceived to be of higher quality and they have done so. Consumers help to determine the final price of a CD. CDs at $17.99 continue to be purchased and Warner Bros. et all continue to enjoy huge profits from this.

Nevermind the fact bands make next to nothing. Even the bigger, more succesful bands get short changed by record companies. Take a look at the back of any CD. Notice who owns the copyright to the music -- an RIAA member. This isn't right in my mind. The author of a book retains the copyright yet the publisher still makes a ton of money (usually). Why the difference? Greed.