Russia Shuts Down Allofmp3, International Trade Can Now Resume

from the they're-working-for-you dept

Mon, Jul 2nd 2007 4:44pm — Carlo Longino

The music industry has felt threatened by Allofmp3.com for quite some time. After all, a site delivering DRM-free music at a low cost is record labels' worst nightmare. The RIAA's always-intense lobbying efforts paid off when it got the US government to threaten Russia that unless it shut down the site, it wouldn't be admitted to the World Trade Organization. They've now gotten ~~what they paid for~~ their wish, as Allofmp3.com has now been shut down, after pressure from the Russian government. But in a move to highlight the utter pointlessness of all of this, the company behind Allofmp3 -- which has shown little concern for the flap over the WTO -- has already set up another site, Mp3sparks.com, which appears nearly identical to Allofmp3. The company says it's setting aside 15 percent of its revenues to pay royalties to record labels, and is considering paying another 5 percent on top of that, even though it's not legally required to do so. Of course, that's not likely to matter to the labels, which sued Allofmp3, even though it had apparently been trying to pay royalties to them, in accordance with Russian law. The typically misguided approach of the music industry here is obvious, though it's more than a little annoying to see the recording industry (yet again) get the government to do its bidding -- particularly when the US government ignores the WTO on other matters, when it's convenient.

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23 Comments

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Chris, 2 Jul 2007 @ 5:08pm

If you had an account at Allofmp3.com you'll find your login and password works at Mp3sparks.com

Yeah, that shutting down the original site will work real well.
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Bob, 2 Jul 2007 @ 6:01pm

Huh?
What's the point?

You can go on Usenet right now and download all the music you want for free. The only restriction is the free space on your hard drive. This is like damming up the American side of Niagara Falls and thinking you stopped the water flow.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Jul 2007 @ 6:03pm

May I give all those people who use Allofmp3.com or other such sites some advice.

If you can deal with variable quality please, please, please use either newsgroups or p2p to tell the RIAA to go fuck themselves.
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Shane, 2 Jul 2007 @ 6:21pm

For those that are curious, I was able to get logged in to MP3Sparks.com with all my old AllOfMP3 information. It acted strange at first, prompting me to input my user information like I was a new user. When I did that, and submitted it, it came back and said my user name was taken, please choose another (I did not).
I logged out (it showed me logged in at this point in time, in the upper right hand side), and was able to login with my normal credentials. My account seems to be working good, and my balance appears to have transferred ok.
Shane
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- mystery, 2 Jul 2007 @ 6:48pm
  
  Re:
  I logged onto sparks with my allof credentials just fine, first try. Correct balance, but I think it lost most of my bookmarks, no big deal. I haven't looked at the history listing, but probably no problem. I wonder if they will patch allTunes to work with sparks?
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  - mystery, 2 Jul 2007 @ 6:54pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Not to worry, they've already done it. And that's where the bookmarks were stored, so all is well in reality. Too bad the jerks continue to live in their RIAAlity.
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Neo, 2 Jul 2007 @ 6:41pm

all I have to say is "Corporate BS + Government BS = The World covered in BS!! There is not now or ever will be any use for corporations and governments other than to take your $$.
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- KG, 3 Jul 2007 @ 5:54am
  
  Re:
  all I have to say is "Corporate BS + Government BS = The World covered in BS!! There is not now or ever will be any use for corporations and governments other than to take your $$.
  Exactly right. Have you seen the movie Freedom to Facism (If not you can download it from all the popular torrrent sites) by Aaron Russo? It is an excellent documentary on how we have completely lost our freedom, ever since 1913 when the "Federal Reserve" was invented and the govt began stealing our hard earned dollars. The USA is not has has never been a democracy. Look at the US constitution. Not once will you find that word written. It's a sad, sad time for the USA and I too join the crowd that is embarrased and ASAHAMED (not proud) to be an "American."
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  - Anoymous of Course, 3 Jul 2007 @ 6:42am
    
    Re: Re:
    Good for the Russians... Why don't they tell
    the USA to pound sand? How can they NOT be
    members of the WTO? Over this issue, that's
    crazy.
    
    As you say, the USA is not a democracy and
    never was. It's better than that. The best
    example of pure democracy in action is a lynch
    mob. The men that crafted the consecution
    understood human failings.
    
    Over time, when you average the good and bad,
    the USA still a pretty decent country. The
    people give more in private charity than any
    other country, including most countries government
    and private contributions combined. And that's
    not counting what the USA government doles out,
    although much of that is more like bribary than
    charity.
    
    For every lousy thing the USA has done there's
    as many, no more, good things it has done.
    That doesn't excuse the bad, which should be
    accounted for, but to ignore the good and focus
    on just the bad is intellectually dishonest.
    
    I know it's popular to piss on the USA now and
    that's ok. If your insecure and bruised egos
    gets a lift from that, carry on. I'm sure it
    can weather any storms of self righteous indignation.
    
    The USA has ahd it's ups and downs... having a
    bit of a down time now but that will change.
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    - Comicfan, 3 Jul 2007 @ 10:10am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      AOC said: "I know it's popular to piss on the USA now and
      that's ok. If your insecure and bruised egos
      gets a lift from that, carry on. I'm sure it
      can weather any storms of self righteous indignation."
      
      I think you miss the point as do many. The reason people get pissed is because every day some boneheaded thing that is ridiculous is happening in the U.S. Many of us see what's coming, for every little event, more seem to pop up. I think it's more, can we stop it now before this kind of crap gets worse. I liken it to cancer, it spreads eating away and you can say, well, I still have some good parts of my body, etc...but eventually if it's not stopped will be your demise.
      
      We have a country that can take a group of 100 people who say don't like mustard, suddenly mustard is banned. I find it very funny when they say the people voted. I never ONCE get anything asking me to vote on a damn new law or ban, NEVER.
      
      A small quote : that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
      
      Now, the last line of the people by the people for the people. You tell me we are ANYWHERE near this now. It should be rewritten...
      
      Of the government, by big business, for wealthy minorities.
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- Bill, 3 Jul 2007 @ 7:34am
  
  Re:
  Neo the Jackass said: "all I have to say is "Corporate BS + Government BS = The World covered in BS!! There is not now or ever will be any use for corporations and governments other than to take your $$."
  
  Neo, no need for corporations and govts eh? So you live the life of a nomadic hunter-gatherer who makes all of his own clothes, gathers nuts and berries and maybe traps a squirrel from time to time for protien, and you only burn wood for heat right?
  
  How the hell do you equate the actions of the RIAA with all of the good that modern free market corporations bring to civilization? Are you freakin serious?
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  - Anonymous Coward, 3 Jul 2007 @ 6:06pm
    
    Re: Re:
    @Bill the Shill
    Are YOU serious?
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Lucky, 2 Jul 2007 @ 6:47pm

Bad bad Ruskies damned Commies
I was a regular paying customer of Allofmp3, and I'm very sorry to hear that the Russian government caved into the whiny special interests of the music companies, and the arrogant demands of the American government, threatening to hold up their entry into the WTO if they didn't do something about shutting down Allofmp3.

It's perfectly fine to invade a sovereign nation and hang their leader in the town square, but Russia isn't allowed to make their own decisions about companies that exist within their own borders? I'm sickened at the arrogant behavior of my own government.
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- methylamine, 2 Jul 2007 @ 7:20pm
  
  Re: Bad bad Ruskies damned Commies
  Yes, I am embarrassed too. Who the heck do we think we are? I didn't like the South Park guys' America-World-Police movie, but now I recognize its truth.
  
  Our hubris is endless.
  
  The Executive Branch of this government needs to be taken out back and given a thorough spanking with a willow-stick...then have their toys taken away to restore some balance.
  
  Remember that whole, ah, "Checks and balances" idea? Since when did we have a King/Dictator?
  
  BTW--what do you get when gene-crossing a penis and a potato? Yep, a DickTater.
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  - Comicfan, 3 Jul 2007 @ 2:12am
    
    Re: Re: Bad bad Ruskies damned Commies
    [quote]BTW--what do you get when gene-crossing a penis and a potato? Yep, a DickTater.[/quote]
    
    LMAO!!!! I haven't heard that one, glad I did now, thanks for the laugh! lolll.
    
    So if you cross a penis with a chain piercing do you get a DickChainy?
    
    Anyway, another example of how our true crisis in this world can take a backseat to the RIAA's bidding. Anyone who thinks the RIAA is so big they almost run the government, please raise your hand...If you haven't showered in a week, please put it down!
    
    Should we give T-shirts to all other countries that say...
    
    Bend over, here comes the RIAA? You know what? I can't sing, I can't play guitar, but damn it, I'm going to anyway and give away my music just to say I did ! Although I may end up paying people to take it, but still! Just to say I did! I'll put it for free download on the internet !!! Now I won't waste CDs! That's it America, and the rest of the world, let's all make a CD even if it sucks and give it away!
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methylamine, 2 Jul 2007 @ 7:16pm

Good GRIEF, Charlie Brown! RIAA are such idiots!!
I'm just continually astonished by the recording labels donkey-like stubborness in refusing to adapt/adopt new business models.

WHEN, oh WHEN, will they learn?

I WANT to pay for music so artists will make it. I want to be sure the music goes to the artist and the label. I DON'T want to be raped on price.

Have these troglodytes even bothered to do a price-demand curve analysis to see what cheaper downloads do revenue-wise??

Disgusted. Frustrated. And NOT BUYING MUSIC PERIOD.
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T.J., 2 Jul 2007 @ 8:12pm

Zetgeist
www.ZeitgeistMovie.com . It's nothing new on anybodies part.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Jul 2007 @ 8:18pm

I use alltunes software to look through the music to download. Just go to alltunes.com and download the software. If alltunes is in Russian just click the English version in the top right corner of the page to read their web site. I like the format better and your balance from allofmp3/Mp3sparks is also kept there to. Just use the same User name and password.
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lost soul, 2 Jul 2007 @ 10:15pm

password
so I see all these folks that said their pw from allof is still working over at the new place...well I can't log in...I tried to re-register and it said the same as Shayne (post 4) but no luck....deleted all my cookies...same deal...any help...?
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Nick, 3 Jul 2007 @ 2:04am

There are now literally dozens of alternative services, many of them cheaper. Just try a google search on "mp3" and "ru" (to pick up the Russian domains). Of course you will miss out on the Ulrainian ones!
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Bluezman, 3 Jul 2007 @ 6:22am

I'm ashamed....
This is so sad..... that the US decided to listen to a small group of people, who, in grand scheme of things, don't really matter at all. Using copyright bullshit to enforce policy... This is as bad as the proverbial high school bully... "gimme that dollar or i'll kick yer ass"....Who do we think we are? I read yesterday that Bush is wondering why he's the most hated president in US history.... In world history, IMHO. Well, this is just one of many reasons.

When I read this, I almost cried... I was proud to become a US citizen when we moved over here almost 30 years ago... Not any longer... My next trip back home will be to stay... If I'm allowed out of the country.
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Etaan, 6 Jul 2007 @ 6:05am

Don't know if it's my office computer but...
When I tried to open the new site, I got a lovely "The requested URL could not be retrieved" error. Is it gone already?
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WhoCares, 17 Sep 2007 @ 3:56am

Why stop at CDs?
Yeah, who cares if you buy one CD, and sell the ripped songs for pennies. Heck lets have them do DVDs for 25 cents each next. After that, how about they scan books and sell them for 50 cents each. I don't know why anyone who are in any of those industries wants to make any money anyway, we should just send it all to the Russians where it belongs.
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