People Know About Legit Download Sites – But No Interest
from the any-surprise-here? dept
Combining a bunch of stories people are talking about into one… A new study has shown that many people know about legitimate music download sites, but choose not to use them. Unfortunately, the study doesn’t indicate how many of those people are using file sharing networks instead. However, it should be no surprise if they are, since (as everyone and their brother submitted to me), most folks don’t really care that the music they download is in violation of copyright. I had avoided posting this because there have already been studies that found out the same thing, and there’s only so many times you can beat a dead horse (though, some will note that I keep trying). However, what happens when you force people to use an approved file sharing offering? That’s what some universities are experimenting with. This isn’t new, either. They started experimenting with this idea a few months ago. However, the article linked here has more details. Originally, the universities wanted to go with some sort of compulsory licensing deal: give the music labels some cash, add a “fee” to tuition, and let the kids go nuts with Kazaa. The music industry was not amused. However, they were told that the current download systems weren’t any good either, so they had to submit better plans, which they’re doing now. Of course, knowing the two parties we’re dealing with here – the music industry and universities – I doubt much useful will come out of this.
Comments on “People Know About Legit Download Sites – But No Interest”
Of course
Who cares about paying $0.79 per song when you can buy the album for $10?
Re: album == CD
not album download
There's a Problem
There is a problem with the legal sites. At least most of them. You have to download some DRMed piece of crap that doesn’t let you use the song you payed for as you want. I will not use those sites until they offer songs in formats that allow me to play them on any equipment that I want to use. It just isn’t worth my money or my time to purchase a song and then only be able to listen to it in one spot.
I do not use the P2P programs. The only MP3’s I have are ones that I have ripped from my own purchased CD’s. I personally would prefer to pay for every song that I own but I want to play it whenever and wherever I want to. Otherwise the aggravation is just not worth it to me.
I also do not buy many CD’s anymore because I refuse to pay $12 or more for a CD that only has 1 to 3 songs on it that I like. The music industry needs to wise up and learn that not all of their customers are criminals and refuse to be treated like slaves and criminals. If they don’t wise up soon I will likely give up on them and just go to taping music from radio stations. THAT is a fair use!
As a special message to the movie industry, I am getting fairly fed up with them as well. I refuse to spend $15 or more for a stupid DVD that they want to make sure that I can only use as they want. The only DVDs that I own are ones that I purchased when they went down to $6 or $7. Except for The Mummy and The Mummy Returns DVD set which I got cheaper than normal because my mother works at a WalMart.
I am sick of this CRAP! I am NOT a criminal but these companies with no clue will either drive me to be a criminal or will lose me as a customer forever. Something had better change soon and it had better be for the better. Oh, and don’t get me started about the copyright laws issue and the DMCA issue!
Re: There's a Problem
What do you want to do with DVD’s? And your complainign about $15, when it costs like half that or more to see it in a theater?
THen rent it, at least with movies you have those options, and sometimes as low as .99 [at least the HollyWood Video by me has those rates].
bitrates
Look at the music sites. The only one advertising bitrates is the iTunes Music Store. I guess the rest just have 128 Kbps MP3 crap.
Read the actual survey
I read the actual survey at Pew Internet. It is poorly worded – it assumes that someone who picks up the phone in a household knows the vocabulary and what all of this is about. Doesn’t use words that would recognize like Gnutella, etc.
I doubt that most people even know what a copyright is.
Or that most people realize that their files are shared on the Net when they use these programs.
Another group
What about people who are quite prepared to pay for music, but want to own it once they have paid?
The major problem with all the legit download sites, bar iTunes, is the heavy DRM which prevents copying to CD or music playing device once you’ve paid you 99p/$0.79 to download the tune.
Sometimes it is an option, but requires an extra payment.
I struggle to see how this is better value that buying a CD and ripping to MP3/unprotected WMA files.
At least with a CD you can sell it on eBay if you decide you don’t like it.
my thoughts