The Recording Industry Tries To Reinvent File Sharing
from the train-wreck-in-progress dept
Would you believe that file sharing isn't going to go away? Apparently, the recording industry and the Associated Press (who suggests that in the title of this article) have just figured that out -- about six years too late. The article is basically a summary of the new attempts by the industry to create industry-supported "file sharing networks" -- which are really just attempts to create yet another music download store, but with the bandwidth cost shifted to the buyers. The idea isn't new, but the implementations, as expected, miss the point. They all involve lots of charges and painful copy protection. A big part of the reason why file sharing has been useful for many people is that they get to hear whatever they want, whenever they want, and it fits in with their existing collection. If the new systems don't match those benefits, why will people switch?
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Free Sharing
Lets face it, people want file sharing to be treated like radio stations. You do not pay to listen to music on the radio, yet the music industry apparently doesn't have a problem with that. But until the industry can figure out a way to make money on a FREE file sharing network, they're just pissing into the wind. Oh and of course, they aren't using the good ideas that others have already come up with.
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