I'm currently in Slovenia (Central/Eastern Europe), and I've gotta say, live music is BOOMING here.. not just in this country.. but in most of Europe (I travel a lot for business and pleasure)..
The licensing in most of the EU isn't as harsh/strict/costly as it is in the west (with a couple of exceptions, considering the UK is part of the EU, even though they like to pretend they aren't) .. live music is alive and doing well... not just small local groups.. but big names are constantly coming through.. and the ticket prices are reasonable (It cost me ���30 to see Iron Maiden a couple of years ago when they were here, saw Cradle of Filth for ���5, Type O Negative was ���20) and even with mainstream bands.. it's rare for a concert ticket to be above ���50 and those that are .. oddly enough... don't sell out (and often end up cancelling their concerts... *cough*Madonna*cough* ) ..
"Second, there is no indication as to the number of tickets sold during this time. The UK has suffered some dramatic ticket price increased in the last few years, with acts like Bon Jovi almost tripling ticket prices from their last visit, and a number of festivals cranking their ticket prices through the roof.
Basically, while more live money is coming in, it isn't clear that any more fans are seeing live music, rather just that people are paying more for the same thing.
Also, the combined sales of music and live music is flat from 2004 to 2008 combined, which means that there music industry in the UK isn't getting any more money than that is was before."
Perhaps that's the problem right there.. if ticket prices weren't 3x higher... more people could/would have attended... (there is a recession going on) more people = more alternative sales (tshirts, cds, concert posters, signed stuff.. etc) = more money PLUS more fan loyalty... more fan loyalty = more exposure to potentially new fans (word of mouth, p2p, etc) = more money (music sales, scarce goods sales, higher concert attendance etc)..
Again... the industries problems are due to basic greed and outdated business models... this is why there's no growth.. not 'piracy' or infringement or whatever the hell it is you want to call it..
Patents should only be applied when there is an actual product, otherwise it isn't an invention, merely an idea. An idea that locks the market out..
Wireless email, I'm sure many many many people thought about that (myself included) but it's the first to the patent office to get control of it, not the first to actually CREATE the invention. How is it meant to promote progress, when it brings things to a screeching halt and STOPS things coming to market when many of these so called 'inventors' have absolutely no intention of creating the product in the first place.
What someone should do, and it would probably cost a fortune, is to patent every idea that people can come up with and bring the market to a complete standstill where nobody is going to do anything for fear of being sued into oblivion.
It would require a lot of money to make a company that accepts ideas, registers the patents under the company, and takes maybe 20-30% of the income that the idea generates via lawsuits/licensing, passing the rest off to the 'idea man'.
I think that would show everyone that patenting concepts and ideas is just stupid, it's not a bloody invention, it's a thought until there is a product. Though I doubt there's a billionaire out there who'd be willing to make this happen.. so it's just a pipedream...
There is 'burden of proof' in law, patents should have 'burden of creation' if they are going to let ideas be patented. If you're not actively trying to create what you've patented, then you lose it, freeing it up for those who also had the idea and actually plan to do something with it rather than sit back and sue people left right and centre.
Hell, throw in a 'Burden of Innovation', having to build upon the initial patent within 5 years or lose it. 5 years should be enough time to advance the product in some way/shape/form ensuring constant evolution. Those who can't innovate, lose the patent and give other people/companies the opportunity to do so. You keep innovating, you keep control, you snooze, you lose...
Then we'd see real invention and innovation... but we all know that will never happen.. not while lobbyists are allowed to exist... and the politicians are in corporate pockets...
... wouldn't it be hilarious if all the international music industry bodies were doing the same thing (including the US)... it would be such a total clusterfuck..
Will the US RIAA spin doctors use this to point and say:
"See, we told you they were all filthy dirty thieving pirates! Even the industry itself is full of them! They are stealing from Americans, they must be stopped!!!"
(I'm pretty sure I saw at least a couple of US names)
You reap what you sow.. the industry pushed for tougher penalties, the industry has tried suing people to the point of bankruptcy and the destruction of their futures.. now (HOPEFULLY!) they will be getting a taste of their own medicine.. and will find it bitter indeed..
This isn't even private infringement, this is commercial, they SOLD (not shared for free) material and made money from it. Not only should they be paying the damage rates that the industry itself set, but they should also be paying interest on the older stuff considering they've been making money off it for 20+ years.
So according to the AC's (well the majority of them) .. file sharing is still harming industries... and that more stuff was created because it has become cheaper to do so, as well as to distribute and market...
Then why haven't we seen a reduction in prices for any media? everything else goes down, things that offer far more value... but ... CD's still cost the same, DVD's still cost the same.. movie ticket prices are going up...
Where's the value for us? all I see is greed...
I download, I also own over 1,000 CD's AND DVD's.. (legit copies, all of them.. not to mention band shirts and such) ... I'm obviously hurting the industry, how dare I try before I buy.. given that just about every other type of sale AND contract offers a refund/cancellation period... these industries do not... I'm not in the habit of buying shit... if I buy something shit I expect to be able to return it... but with movies and music I'm not allowed to do so... so... either I download... or I just don't buy at all...
As far as I'm concerned, the RIAA, MPAA, their ilk globally and their defenders... can go suck on a ruptured and inflamed hemorrhoid whilst being jacked off and fingered by the worlds fattest man in a sauna...
Errr what? Vodaphone does have a no-contract service, I was using it when I went home for 6 weeks to visit my family and friends.. much cheaper than getting hammered with roaming fees ..
I agree 100% about the ISP's though... but then I think America is just as backwards.. I pay €39 a month for unlimited internet (optical 20/20), IP phone and 200+ channels (5 of which are 24/7 porn that I DON'T pay extra for)
The iphone should have already had all of these features, all apple is doing is dragging out the process trying to suck more money out of the fans... and it's working as well.. nice cash cow...
Me personally, I'm not an apple fan, I used to have to support apple machines for a design studio and it was a nightmare. We mainly use Windows AND Linux where I work (now) and all the users are happy with what they have. I know what I'm doing, so we have very few problems (even with the Vista rollout) but apple still makes me cringe.
I own (purchased outright) a HTC TyTn II, sure it's thicker than an iphone and weighs a bit more, but it does everything an iphone (including the s) can do and more, much much more.. the Palm Pre has only just come out (less than a week now) so comparing it to a device that has been out out for what... 1 year? 2? is completely absurd. If you want to compare the apps to another phone, compare it to something established like the OLD palm, or windows mobile .. you'll see the apps you have available are nothing.. nor is there a killswitch on our phones.. nor do we have to wait for apple to 'approve' an application... sure we get some junk.. but we CAN get what we want...
I do like the iphone, I think it is a pretty toy.. though the only thing I want from it that causes any sort of 'envy' .. is the multitouch thingie that apple patented.. otherwise there is literally 100+ phones that can do everything the iphone can do and more...
I worked in Customer Service for a mobile phone company in the UK, it was awful! I really felt bad for a lot of our callers, we had set scripts and time limits, regardless of the problem.
Not only did we have to keep track of our times, to qualify for a bonus, you also had to pass 'Quality' with a 90% or better..
Needless to say, very few people got their bonus, and rarely for consecutive months. How can you be expected to be upbeat and friendly, when you were expected to have an average monthly call time of less than 2 minutes, with 90% quality, considering you were penalized for 'rushing' ... penalized if you deviated from the script by even one word ... penalized because the customer ended the call unsatisfied (mind you, if they were looking for tech support and called billing, you were still penalized for an unsatisfied customer).. penalized because you asked a customer to step out of the nightclub or into the bathroom so you can actually hear what they are screaming at you after 5 minutes of "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I couldn't hear you.. " (remember the 2 minute average call time)
I wish I had worked for that company Zappos.. I didn't mind talking to people... including the incredibly stupid (and boy did I come across a LOT of those) .. but you do need to have the time... and the script really doesn't cover every situation...
On the post: Getting The Music Business Over The 'But We Must Sell Music' Hump
Also...
The licensing in most of the EU isn't as harsh/strict/costly as it is in the west (with a couple of exceptions, considering the UK is part of the EU, even though they like to pretend they aren't) .. live music is alive and doing well... not just small local groups.. but big names are constantly coming through.. and the ticket prices are reasonable (It cost me ���30 to see Iron Maiden a couple of years ago when they were here, saw Cradle of Filth for ���5, Type O Negative was ���20) and even with mainstream bands.. it's rare for a concert ticket to be above ���50 and those that are .. oddly enough... don't sell out (and often end up cancelling their concerts... *cough*Madonna*cough* ) ..
On the post: Getting The Music Business Over The 'But We Must Sell Music' Hump
heh...
Basically, while more live money is coming in, it isn't clear that any more fans are seeing live music, rather just that people are paying more for the same thing.
Also, the combined sales of music and live music is flat from 2004 to 2008 combined, which means that there music industry in the UK isn't getting any more money than that is was before."
Perhaps that's the problem right there.. if ticket prices weren't 3x higher... more people could/would have attended... (there is a recession going on) more people = more alternative sales (tshirts, cds, concert posters, signed stuff.. etc) = more money PLUS more fan loyalty... more fan loyalty = more exposure to potentially new fans (word of mouth, p2p, etc) = more money (music sales, scarce goods sales, higher concert attendance etc)..
Again... the industries problems are due to basic greed and outdated business models... this is why there's no growth.. not 'piracy' or infringement or whatever the hell it is you want to call it..
On the post: The Key To Innovation: Putting Ideas And Information Together In New Ways
Patents + 'Burden of .... '
Wireless email, I'm sure many many many people thought about that (myself included) but it's the first to the patent office to get control of it, not the first to actually CREATE the invention. How is it meant to promote progress, when it brings things to a screeching halt and STOPS things coming to market when many of these so called 'inventors' have absolutely no intention of creating the product in the first place.
What someone should do, and it would probably cost a fortune, is to patent every idea that people can come up with and bring the market to a complete standstill where nobody is going to do anything for fear of being sued into oblivion.
It would require a lot of money to make a company that accepts ideas, registers the patents under the company, and takes maybe 20-30% of the income that the idea generates via lawsuits/licensing, passing the rest off to the 'idea man'.
I think that would show everyone that patenting concepts and ideas is just stupid, it's not a bloody invention, it's a thought until there is a product. Though I doubt there's a billionaire out there who'd be willing to make this happen.. so it's just a pipedream...
There is 'burden of proof' in law, patents should have 'burden of creation' if they are going to let ideas be patented. If you're not actively trying to create what you've patented, then you lose it, freeing it up for those who also had the idea and actually plan to do something with it rather than sit back and sue people left right and centre.
Hell, throw in a 'Burden of Innovation', having to build upon the initial patent within 5 years or lose it. 5 years should be enough time to advance the product in some way/shape/form ensuring constant evolution. Those who can't innovate, lose the patent and give other people/companies the opportunity to do so. You keep innovating, you keep control, you snooze, you lose...
Then we'd see real invention and innovation... but we all know that will never happen.. not while lobbyists are allowed to exist... and the politicians are in corporate pockets...
On the post: Major Labels Accused Of $6 Billion Worth Of Copyright Infringement In Canada
as an afterthought...
I pay to see that!
On the post: Major Labels Accused Of $6 Billion Worth Of Copyright Infringement In Canada
Canada is on the US 'Copyright Blacklist'
Will the US RIAA spin doctors use this to point and say:
"See, we told you they were all filthy dirty thieving pirates! Even the industry itself is full of them! They are stealing from Americans, they must be stopped!!!"
(I'm pretty sure I saw at least a couple of US names)
You reap what you sow.. the industry pushed for tougher penalties, the industry has tried suing people to the point of bankruptcy and the destruction of their futures.. now (HOPEFULLY!) they will be getting a taste of their own medicine.. and will find it bitter indeed..
This isn't even private infringement, this is commercial, they SOLD (not shared for free) material and made money from it. Not only should they be paying the damage rates that the industry itself set, but they should also be paying interest on the older stuff considering they've been making money off it for 20+ years.
On the post: Yet Another Study Shows That Weaker Copyright Benefits Everyone
Hmmm...
Then why haven't we seen a reduction in prices for any media? everything else goes down, things that offer far more value... but ... CD's still cost the same, DVD's still cost the same.. movie ticket prices are going up...
Where's the value for us? all I see is greed...
I download, I also own over 1,000 CD's AND DVD's.. (legit copies, all of them.. not to mention band shirts and such) ... I'm obviously hurting the industry, how dare I try before I buy.. given that just about every other type of sale AND contract offers a refund/cancellation period... these industries do not... I'm not in the habit of buying shit... if I buy something shit I expect to be able to return it... but with movies and music I'm not allowed to do so... so... either I download... or I just don't buy at all...
As far as I'm concerned, the RIAA, MPAA, their ilk globally and their defenders... can go suck on a ruptured and inflamed hemorrhoid whilst being jacked off and fingered by the worlds fattest man in a sauna...
On the post: Senators Sniff Around Exclusive Handset Deals
Re: Re: What's the problem?
I agree 100% about the ISP's though... but then I think America is just as backwards.. I pay €39 a month for unlimited internet (optical 20/20), IP phone and 200+ channels (5 of which are 24/7 porn that I DON'T pay extra for)
On the post: iPhone Owners Discover, Lo and Behold, It's Just Another Cell Phone
it's a nothing upgrade..
Me personally, I'm not an apple fan, I used to have to support apple machines for a design studio and it was a nightmare. We mainly use Windows AND Linux where I work (now) and all the users are happy with what they have. I know what I'm doing, so we have very few problems (even with the Vista rollout) but apple still makes me cringe.
I own (purchased outright) a HTC TyTn II, sure it's thicker than an iphone and weighs a bit more, but it does everything an iphone (including the s) can do and more, much much more.. the Palm Pre has only just come out (less than a week now) so comparing it to a device that has been out out for what... 1 year? 2? is completely absurd. If you want to compare the apps to another phone, compare it to something established like the OLD palm, or windows mobile .. you'll see the apps you have available are nothing.. nor is there a killswitch on our phones.. nor do we have to wait for apple to 'approve' an application... sure we get some junk.. but we CAN get what we want...
I do like the iphone, I think it is a pretty toy.. though the only thing I want from it that causes any sort of 'envy' .. is the multitouch thingie that apple patented.. otherwise there is literally 100+ phones that can do everything the iphone can do and more...
On the post: Sounding Human: The Difference Between Good And Bad Customer Service
Customer Service
Not only did we have to keep track of our times, to qualify for a bonus, you also had to pass 'Quality' with a 90% or better..
Needless to say, very few people got their bonus, and rarely for consecutive months. How can you be expected to be upbeat and friendly, when you were expected to have an average monthly call time of less than 2 minutes, with 90% quality, considering you were penalized for 'rushing' ... penalized if you deviated from the script by even one word ... penalized because the customer ended the call unsatisfied (mind you, if they were looking for tech support and called billing, you were still penalized for an unsatisfied customer).. penalized because you asked a customer to step out of the nightclub or into the bathroom so you can actually hear what they are screaming at you after 5 minutes of "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I couldn't hear you.. " (remember the 2 minute average call time)
I wish I had worked for that company Zappos.. I didn't mind talking to people... including the incredibly stupid (and boy did I come across a LOT of those) .. but you do need to have the time... and the script really doesn't cover every situation...
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