Are The Labels Pressuring Steve Jobs Breaking The Law?

from the haven't-we-heard-this-before? dept

The NY Times is running an article that seems to be getting plenty of attention, saying that some record labels are pressuring Steve Jobs to raise the prices of songs on iTunes. Actually, more specifically, they want him to introduce variable pricing, that would allow them to charge a lot more for hot new songs, and perhaps somewhat less for less popular songs. The article doesn't say who's doing the pressuring... but does name those who are fine with things as is, so you can figure out who they're talking about by process of elimination. Of course, this is an old story. The rumors of such complaints from within the recording industry first came out a year and a half ago and were repeated earlier this year. Either way, it doesn't seem like the labels are any closer than they were a year and a half ago to getting Steve Jobs to give in. However, a more important question is whether or not these efforts are illegal. After all, Apple is just a reseller of songs on iTunes. The record labels can charge Apple as much as they want for songs -- but they shouldn't have a say in how much Apple charges consumers for the songs. So, if they want to charge higher prices for songs, they should simply raise the prices they charge Apple -- and if Apple decides to sell those songs at a loss, raise prices or pull those songs from iTunes altogether, that should be Apple's decision. Otherwise, it certainly sounds a lot like the sort of price fixing that got the record labels in trouble a few years ago.
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  • identicon
    dorpus, 28 Aug 2005 @ 10:20pm

    When Laws Fail

    Should record labels have shit flung at them?

    This man was able to bring down an entire city by
    spending the past 3 years cooking his own shit in kitchen pots and dumping them in his back yard to get "revenge" against his neighbors. The smell has caused businesses in his neighborhood to go bankrupt, children to stop playing outside, people
    installing double-door entrances, and people unable to open windows on warm days. Although neighbors gathered a thousand signatures to petition police to do something, there are no existing laws that can allow police to take action.

    If you have a STRONG stomach, there is a news clip of the man's shit-filled back yard and rusting pots.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Oliver Wendell Jones, 29 Aug 2005 @ 6:34am

      Re: When Laws Fail

      "Should record labels have shit flung at them?"

      No, Dorpus - but you should.

      As usual, your comment has absolutely nothing to do with the posted story!

      Please, go start your own blog site and fill it with all of these non-sequitor stories that none of us care about.

      I'll be more than happy to register www.DorpusIsAnIdiot.com for you - my treat!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Sean, 29 Aug 2005 @ 2:50am

    No Subject Given

    There should be variable pricing! But when I say that I mean that old, abused, no one wants them, songs should sell for .25 cents and the hot new songs should stay at .99 cents.

    - Sean

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Mousky, 29 Aug 2005 @ 9:22am

      Re: No Subject Given

      But something tells me that is not the pricing structure that the music companies would suggest ;)

      link to this | view in chronology ]


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