[advocacy] The record industry strikes back

[Bacchus Thirteen]

The record industry seems to be trying to assimilate
on-line music industry with carrot and stick.

About the carrot side, they made a new weapon, new
subscription services, which is similar to personal
license with the payment of royalties to the artists. 
This enables the record industry launch its own
on-line music services:  MusicNet is supported by EMI,
AOL Time Warner and Bertelsmann while Pressplay is
supported by Sony Music and Universal Music.  Probably
the services will be on-line the next month.  Although
the music files will be able neither to be transferred
to portables nor burnt to CDs, both MusicNet and
Pressplay are developing ways allow the subscribers to
share music files securely.  MusicNet is aiming at the
completion within five months.  Can the record
industry seduce artists with royalty and the consumers
with convenience into their new subscription system?

About the stick side, RIAA field a lawsuit against
post-Napster on-line music services such as MusicCity,
Grokster and FastTtrack.  However, this seems to have
backfired since it raised antitrust issue.

Can the income of GPL artists enough for them to
become professional?  If not, it must be quite
difficult to persuade artists into personal license. 
If the record industry begins to promote their sites
with CDs with CD-ROM capability, TV and mobile
internet, it is also getting harder to get music fans
although it also depends on how annoying to deal with
the new copy-protection system.  If MusicNet is proven
right, in five months, the audio hardware industry can
make portables without worrying about the response
from the record industry.  Doesn't sound jolly for our
side. :-(

Bacchus 13

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