Re: iTunes in Canada
Wow! Try to get a response like that out of the RIAA (yes I know the two organizations don't do the same thing). Maybe Michael Moore was right about Canada.
I'm curious: does Apple Canada not use NDAs? I'm amazed that you are able to talk so freely about your discussions with Apple, in the US you have to completely sign away your right to talk if you want to do business with apple in any way. (other than buying their stuff of course)
Originally posted by dbasskin
Well, it's certainly nice to be noticed. Just a couple of clarifications:
First, CMRRA is a licensing agency, not an "association". I was on the phone to Apple the day of the IMS launch last April, seeking for a meeting to discuss licensing the service to do business in Canada. We regard IMS as one of the best-designed and most exciting online music distribution services ever created, and we'd be very excited to see it in the Canadian marketplace. At the time, Apple didn't want to meet with us. It's now clear that they were putting their efforts into the Windows version, and didn't want to expand to any further territories until they could do so on both the Mac and PC platforms, which seems to me to be a sound business decision.
We're looking forward to a rapid and mutually beneficial negotiation with Apple so that IMS can open in Canada as quickly as possible. Our company represents music publishers (and the songwriters they represent) and we will be licensing Apple in order to authorize them to make and sell reproductions of our clients' songs. Apple will make separate arrangements with the record labels for the use of their recordings. Once all the contracts are in place, I suspect that Apple will waste little time in opening IMS in Canada. Certainly it's full speed ahead as far as we're concerned.
If you have further questions on this subject, I invite you to visit our site and post a question in the "Ask Us A Question" section. You'll receive a prompt response.
David A. Basskin
President
CMRRA Ltd.
Toronto, Canada
Wow! Try to get a response like that out of the RIAA (yes I know the two organizations don't do the same thing). Maybe Michael Moore was right about Canada.
I'm curious: does Apple Canada not use NDAs? I'm amazed that you are able to talk so freely about your discussions with Apple, in the US you have to completely sign away your right to talk if you want to do business with apple in any way. (other than buying their stuff of course)