PhotoDude.com

Sat. Jul 26, 2003

I Want My CD's Free!

I Want My CD’s Free! – They’re jumping for joy over at Kuro5hin (among other places): “In a recent article on pbs.org, Robert Cringely, introduces Snapster, an idea that has the potential to revolutionize music distribution as we know it.”

Indeed it does, but not in the manner they hope. It reads as a particularly clever and potentially legal solution to the ugly RIAA assault of lawsuits against downloaders, by which millions of “company owners” could download from one collectively purchased CD (times 100,000 different CD’s). But like most of the rationalizations for why it should be Perfectly Okey Dokey to download any music for free, there is a glaring omission in logic.

Go read Mr. Cringely’s Clever Concept. And if, in your ecstasy over the prospect of free CD’s for life, you can’t figure out what is missing in this brilliant plan, Ken Layne will be happy to clue you in to the obvious (emphasis mine): “...he writes this whole column about the ‘future’ of the music business, and not once does he mention paying musicians [...] Okay, for the millionth time, why would anyone produce and manufacture records if they’re only going to sell a single copy?”

Duh-uh!