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iPod Universal Accuses non-Zune owners of stealing music

calculus said:
OK then, who's for starting a class action against this bloke for defaming us all? I spend a fortune on CDs but I can tell you I will think very carefully before I buy anything else on Universal. Also in striking this deal are MS saying that it's OK to steal from the small labels? Imagine buying a zune And filling it with your favourite small label music and having to pay UMG for the privilege. This is just outrageous.
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I've got an idea for a class action suit:

According to industry executives, I don't buy the music when I buy a CD, i just buy the rights to listen to it. That means that if I bought an abum on vinyl in 1970, I already bought the rights to listen to that albmum's music, right? Then why did the industry charge me full price again when I bought a CD of the same album15 years later? The industry wrongly charges everyone full price for purchasing an album, ignoring those who have already paid for the rights to listen to the music.

Because they claim we're only purchasing the rights to the music, they owe a partial refund to everyone who bought an album on any media if that person already owned the album on the same or different media.
 
"We felt that any business that's built on the bedrock of music we should share in,"

So if I record a song in Garageband, I have to pay Universal a royalty? When did they get the patent on music?
 
I would think this could be a legal precedent (or at least legal hassle) as far as M$ is concerned:

"At a time of transition for the music industry, Zune aims to be a leader in supporting artists and enabling the creative possibilities associated with connected entertainment. We look forward to working with the industry to make sure labels and the artists have a very bright future," said Bryan Lee, Corporate VP Microsoft Entertainment & Devices. "We believe that the music consumer will appreciate knowing that when they buy a Zune device, they are helping to support their favorite artists."

link: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061109/lath101.html?.v=56

So, if M$ is so altruistic about supporting artists, why just UMG artists? Why even just artists/companies who eventually sign a distribution deal with M$? Or would it be OK to just rip those other artists off?

I think this was an expedient move which should open a Pandora's box.

As far as being an industry precedent... depends on how many Zunes are sold.
 
STLSigns said:
Did a Wiki for Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Music_Publishing_Group

U2 is "affiliated" with them, whatever that means ($$$$), and the list goes on.

One thing I know for sure is...
Raise taxes = people will pay less (Fudge the numbers)
More money for music = more for free (We will find it, trust me)
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Universal Music Group is the largest music corporation in the world. Island Def Jam, Interscope, and countless other labels are all under the umbrella of UMG. This is a corporation that will never change because they run the business and the other companies follow along. Don't be surprised if other corporations try doing this with DMP.
 
i dont understand this why didnt he speak up 8-9 years ago when sony came out with those walman mp3 players? and all the ipod is a hard drive a os and ui, thats it. apple runs the market because like there computer they are simplistic, sleek and fairly affordable.. if he wants to get mad he should get mad a hard drive companies for one they are the people who make the core deivce where pirated info is stored. but he just makes himself look more like a piece of "cra- zune-ap" and knocks on apple
 
Scarlet Fever said:
from now on, the only illegally obtained music in my library will be from artists signed on the UMG label. ill pay for everything else.
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+1

all my music is legal. if i ever get tangled up in universals tax i'm going to "steal" as much of their stuff as possible.....not that I own much to do with them anyway but it's the principle here.
 
So does this mean that if I buy a CD and play it on a CD player that hasn't paid royalties to the CD production company (or whatever) I am stealing music?

This is what this article sounded like to me.

I sure hope someone in the industry stands up and says how stupid this is. One of the stupidest things I have heard.
 
ChickenSwartz said:
So does this mean that if I buy a CD and play it on a CD player that hasn't paid royalties to the CD production company (or whatever) I am stealing music?

This is what this article sounded like to me.

I sure hope someone in the industry stands up and says how stupid this is. One of the stupidest things I have heard.
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it would only be stupid if they don't get away with it. but they will.

most people won't know about this and they won't care about the dollar per zune (or any other player). the music/media industry has fees on hardware in other conuntries already and they got away with it. so why should it be different this time? from that point of view universal is just doing good business.:mad:
 
Wonder if Sony Music will get the same deal from M$.

Oh, wait a minute. Sony also makes VAIO computers, and, obviously, "These devices are just repositories for stolen (software), and they all know it." Wouldn't Sony then have to start giving all software developers a cut of VAIO sales, in compensation for pirated software? Hmmm.
 
Only one way to respond to that:-

"Consumers accuse all Universal employees of being drug-addict paedophiles"

And they all know it ;)
 
mdntcallr said:
This is no legal precedent. However, it is a industry precedent. Microsoft will likely do a similar deal with each major label group. they are NOT going to turn down money. Even if Zune tanks, microsoft wants to change the industry dynamics of Apple dictating terms to their partners.

This is all part of a MSFT strategy to screw with Apple
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Apple will just ask Universal how much many they actually received from Microsoft. The way Zune sales are developing, I guess they will make a few thousand dollars.
 
I don't think Microsoft is behind this deal, it's more likely that Universal forced them to pay that 1$/Zune. Microsoft don't gain anything from this deal as far as I can see. The Zune would be a guaranteed failure if people couldn't buy any music by Universal artists, so Universal could make MS do whatever they wanted.

Apple is on a completely different level, so Universal will not be able to do the same thing to them (even though they would probably like to).
 
If I literally have to PAY them for stolen music, well then I guess I'd better get some stolen music. One must assume it is now OK to 'steal' music because we are paying for it with this tax.

Go ahead kids... Doug says we can steal their music if we give him a dollar.
 
decksnap said:
If I literally have to PAY them for stolen music, well then I guess I'd better get some stolen music. One must assume it is now OK to 'steal' music because we are paying for it with this tax.

Go ahead kids... Doug says we can steal their music if we give him a dollar.
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Good point!

Some of us do not steal our music but pay for it. Now it seems we are all being accused of stealing music. What a nice thing to say. NOT!
 
Excuses for greed

I don't think this guy actually believes this. I thinks he needs an excuse for Universal to get their grubby hands on more cash. He may also believe that saying this gives Universal more leverage when it comes time to renegotiate with Apple. I hope Apple laughs in their face and shows them the door. In that way, when the Zune fails, they will be out in the cold.
 
Man this article is full of crap. Seriously, your accusing me of stealing music just because I own a iPod? So if i own a Zuni im not stealing music? So all those CD's i have piled up in my bookshelf, bought from stores and collected over my years.. your telling me i stole em all? Bullcrap.. seriously, if this keeps going on, I will steal music, not givin a rats a$$ to who i hurt, i just wanna hurt that idiot who said that.. jeesh insult your custumers and expect them to continue... you wish... at least when Sony DMG phone home thing came up, it didnt insult me, but this.. this is so much worse.. i hope they get shot in the foot with what they said...

just my two pence
 
BanjoBanker said:
Microsoft caved to Universal/BMI in order to get them onboard w/ Zune. Now Universal thinks they can extort Apple. This is the same crap that the music labels tried in the 70s when casette tapes and recorders became popular. They wanted a royalty paid on every blank casette! They got their way in Europe, where a royalty is paid to the European version of ASCAP for every blank CD and casette sold. Since the music companies lost that fight here, they have been waiting for a chance to get their revenge on all of us music pirates and our recording devices, and Microsoft gave it to them. Payola lives!
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I wouldn't be surprised if good Ole Steve used his RDF to convince Universal that they owe Apple money for every iPod sold. I mean seriously, look how stupid the guy running UMG is.
 
It looks as though Doug Morris actually singled out Zune for the thievery accucastion. He said "These devices are just repositories for stolen music" -- not those other devices ;)
 
Spock said:
"We felt that any business that's built on the bedrock of music we should share in,"

So if I record a song in Garageband, I have to pay Universal a royalty? When did they get the patent on music?
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I agree with you completely. Universal is acting like they invented music
 
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