To the Music Industry: Get a Clue
The idiots who think they have a right to steal music are going to get ants in their pants now. Record labels are pressuring Apple to increase the price of music in the iTunes store. According to CNN, in addition to the increase they also want variable pricing - music from hot artists should be more expensive. I’m wondering which school of idiocy the record label execs graduated from? Not the same one as those P2P nutjobs, surely.
Apple certainly has a good thing with iTunes. 99 cents per tune, it would seem, is a perfect price point. And there’s no doubt in my mind that it has put a dent in the pirating of music online (at least in the countries where the store is available). But all good things must come to an end, eh?
As I see it, the record labels demand of a price increase will do two things right off the bat: it will reinforce the negative image of ‘greedy coporate-types who only care about the bottom line’; it will give the anti-IP hippies more ammunition in their tirades ranting against ‘the man’. In the long run, it’s going to hurt iTunes sales and give a boost to piracy. I mean, are record executives really that blind to what’s going on? Or are they secure in the fact that they can continue to lobby congress for draconian legislation while they reach $2,000 lawsuit settlements with high school and college students?
I would love to see an end to music/movie/software piracy. It would make my day. But the executives in the related industries need to get their heads out of their asses and make decisions that will move us closer to that goal rather than giving the P2P morons more reason to steal. Here’s to hoping Apple is in a strong enough bargaining position to keep the status quo.