Originally Posted by
Doc Sark
Well you don't remember correctly. The BPI took exactly the same stance as RIAA on illegal file sharing.
So are you saying Apple one day just decided they were going to sell music online. No. To do so they need the record companies that own the tracks to license companies like Apple to sell them, otherwise it is illegal. So it's safe to say third party aggregators wishing to sell music online needed record company involvement.
The thing I agree with you on is that the music industry did try to kill file downloading, like they did blank casettes, like they did blank C.D's and I'm sure they will do so again in the future because they are arrogant people who don't learn.
The fact is they once again are adapting. Check out the RIAA website for correct statistics. 1997 saw the original release of Napster and saw dollar value sales and unit sales down in the States by 2.4% and 6.5% repsectively. These figures then fluxuated ending on an upward trend by the year 2000, I found no evidence of the record sales that you suggest. Then the figures drop rather drastically. The reason these figures dropped can be partly attributed to illegal filesharing and partly attributed to the subsidised music available at supermarkets, of course there are other factors at work here. The fact is the RIAA has recorded profit increases over the last two years, the first time in 5 years they have achieved back to back increase, further proof that the music industry is in no danger whatsoever.
Whether its illegal filesharing or subsidised music at supermarkets, the music industry will inevitably prevail.
