Reader Comments on Aardvark Daily 4 September 2002
Note: the comments below are the unabridged
submissions of readers and do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher.
From: Anon For : The Editor (for publication) Subj: my stance on CD piracy I think it is all a waste of time using any type of protection scheme as obviously there are alot of talented people in the world. I myself use file sharing programs to download music, but I still prefer to buy music cds from the store if I think that it is worth buying, Sometimes I only like 1 song on an album and cannot find a cd single release so I guess I start searching elsewhere. I ripped NZ bands goodshirt + salmonella dub albums (hence on the salmonella dub cd cover "BRN>brnt - maximum fine $10,000) I made mp3s from the albums so I can send to my friend in sweden, come on get real theyll NEVER be able to buy them 2 albums in sweden and there are no distributors in that part of the world! I also had to tell him that NZ is not in antartica. The outcome was he sent me $60 NZD and I brought both the cds for him, why? because it would cost $50 USD per cd using an online cd store in america. In a way I feel as though the spreading of mp3s/files is in someway a good idea for marketing a new product. Out of probably the millions of people who download this material there would be definately a certain percentage who will purchase it, and for new zealanders who download NZ bands many of them will go to their gig (where the band actaully makes more $$$ than the royalties their record company pay them). It would be great to have an international system where instead of a credit card people could go to their local vendor and add $$ to a pre pay card so to purchase online. I bet sales will rise considerably as not everyone has or are willing to have a credit card and sometimes that is the only payment option available. From: Grant For : The Editor (for publication) Subj: DataPlay I don't think DataPlay disks will fly either - have you seen the cost of the blank media (about NZ$10 per 500Mb blank). Given that 700Mb CDR blanks cost about $1 per disk then there has to be a very good reason to use them. RIAA greed strikes again... From: robert rozee For : The Editor (for publication) Subj: xbox and world domination (and music) i disagree, mostly :-) firstly, the xbox sales model: on the face of it, microsoft appears to be mimicing sony with the playstation; release expensive hardware at a loss, with a view to (a) making up the loss on game sales, and (b) advances in technology allowing actual hardware costs to fall below the console sale price. to this end, sony has suceeded with the PS1. it could even be argued that piracy of games HELPED them expand into the market; i note that with the PS2 piracy seems more difficult. but the xbox IS different. my OPINION is that it is in fact the 'prototype' of microsoft's new flagship product, and within 24 months there will be MS office for the xbox (or xbox2). the xbox will connect into microsoft's own little corner of the internet, with subscriptions for central file storage, instant messaging, email, etc. the machine is 'secure', only running signed appliactions, so implementing content protection is trivial. and the DoJ won't have a thing that they can complain about - after all, it is _just_ a games console. microsoft's goal - an xbox on _every_ office desk, with connectivity and communications services rented. winXP and the roadmap extending from it is just a diversion. now, on to music: without secured hardware, music piracy will never be stopped. end of story - the industry as we know it is as good as dead. my prediction for the future is record labels severely trimming down their overheads, so artists can retain a good percentage of sale revenues, revenues from a substantially decreased margin (ie, much lower CD prices). as for the actual content; at the moment the industry is filled with one-hit-wonders, being force fed to the masses 60 minutes at a time (ie, you often buy a 60 minute CD for just one track). this has created an artificial environment, where hype is everything, and actual musical skills really don't matter. piracy, and the internet, has now made this model unviable - the consumer has the _choice_ to mix and match content as they please. there is NO going back. the way forward is the return of the single record, in the form of the 3" cd; onto this will fit, rather conveniently, two tracks. i would like to see vending machines, where you select the two tracks you want, drop in a $2 coin, and 20 seconds later out pops your CD, with inkjetted cover artwork and enclosed in a PVC jacket. of your $2, half MUST go to the artist(s). you will then drop this 3" CD into your personal MP3/walkman player, that will suck in the content and store an MP3 version internally. the CD, you keep for backup - i strongly believe that physical media is an important (psychological) part of the equation. with CHEAP content, readily available, people will pay. there is a price-point below which the cost becomes trivial; and i believe that at this price-point there is still enough money to keep artists fed and clothed. artists, but not fat record company executives. From: Matt Ledgerwood For : The Editor (for publication) Subj: Subsidising Dataplay You say: On a global scale, US$5 billion would subsidise a hell of a lot of DataPlay hardware wouldn't it? I say: Yes it would. But the recording industry doesn't "lose" that much money each year. If most poeple couldn't download the music they do they wouldn't go out and buy it. The music industry knows this and are being particularly dishonest when they say music piracy is costing them these huge sums of money. For this reason they'd never be willing to subsidise anything, as that really would cost them money. From: Robert Guthrie For : The Editor (for publication) Subj: missing the point! mr Aardvark.. regarding your answer to music piracy, while im sure it would increase sales of the new format and its players.. its not going to solve the real problem.. people find internet EASIER than CDS... it allows you to listen to vastly more music. may i please direct you to one of my favorite organisations on the internet: www.xiph.org/about.html skip down to "a history lesson" also.. you may want to read what prince has to say (although he seems to use a cellphone for a keyboard...) www.npgmusicclub.com/npgmc/freedom/commentaries/20020807nationofthieves.html but comeon.. limiting music media to physical discs that have to be swapped around and looked after carefully? thats just criminal!! (where as promoting a more logical delivery/format (given the state of technologly today) should NOT be. everyone WANTS to support the artists.. they just realise that they are barely supporting anyone but CEOS and shareholders by buying cds.. brn & gt brnt is just propaganda.Hit Reload For Latest Comments
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