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Universal May Want Money From iPods

So, this proposed cost is to counter profit losses due to piracy?

Well... If that's so, we all know what we must do if this occurs...

PIRATE PIRATE PIRATE!!!

:)

And pirate Microsoft products because they made this happen... Wait... We were all already doing that, so... Pirate More? I dunno.

The music industry is just desperate because they know that they won't be around much longer. Once big music groups start putting their songs straight on iTMS instead of going through big companies like Universal, well they are screwed, and everyone else wins.

Then again, you could look at it this way... Universal is becoming redundant, and they want their redundancy payment, as we all would.
 
This better not happen!

That Doug Morris is a slimeball. Who's to say I even own any Universal music. I listen to Indie, primarily. I buy all my music, most of it on CD which I digitize, or via the iTunes Music Store. Who is Universal to demand my dollar? Or three for that matter, one for each iPod I have purchased. There are a lot of labels out there. They can't all get a portion. Apple owes them NOTHING. Did they get music from Sony for the Walkman? How many of us listened to mix tapes from friends on those? I know that most of my tapes were mixes from records and CDs. Universal is off base and greedy. Don't let this happen, Mr. Steve Jobs! You're in the right.
 
universal and the whole riaa are so damn greedy. it all just makes me want to start downloading tons and tons of music in spite.

they cant seem to understand the concept the business is rapidly changing and evolving and they have to accept the future and find new innovative ways to sell and obtain revenues rather than sueing people and feeding off the success of others.

this is proof of what happens when ustand still for too long in the business world
 
dougny said:
Actually, they do. They also got paid on every blank tape sold when cassettes were big. I think it is crazy for everyone to think that the music industry is greedy when it getting squeezed out of all of their revenue streams. So, Apple makes hundreds of millions off of their back on the itunes site, and a billion off of iPod sales, and they cannot share in the wealth?

It doesn't cost the consumer any more, why wouldn't you want the people who actually make the music you are listening to get compensated?

This debate is stale. People want something for nothing.
Click to expand...

You my friend, sound like a socialist...
 
Aren't you tired of companies trying to have it their way? Here's what we, as consumers, should do, if that stupid policy happened:

We should create a website, where iPod buyers could subscribe by providing a proof of their iPod purchase. The website would then declare that until Universal pays back what they have taken from every member, those members will steal Universal's music instead of buying it off of the iTS. That's what the tax is there for, right?

Sweet deal! We now have the moral justification to download all of Universal's music for 1 buck. Bring it on!
 
intlplby said:
i would love if the government changed the royalty law to extend only to the artists and not the record companies.....
Click to expand...

Not only would I support this, I would GLADLY pay an "iPod levy" if somehow it was guaranteed to land in the pockets of the artists who I listened to.

It's corporate greed that I refuse to bow down to.
 
In the words of Tony Montana...

"Shu know wha' Capitalism is? Ge' F***ed"

tony3.gif
 
Sooooo Stupid

No way Jose...hahahahahahahaha

How much did they invest in the development in the iPod. Yah right just as I though, zip. If MS is that stupid, it just shows what leverage they have on the market for their Zune
 
here's my 2¢ without reading the rest of the thread:
maybe if they set aside the funds for cultivating new, compellingly good music from upandcoming artists. kinda like how the big movie studios own independent-esque branches. something nice. something a little more risky than your usual cookie-cutter pop-hit. i dunno maybe that's already there sort of. maybe.
 
I teach high school kids and I hear them talk about stuff all the time. I know one thing for sure, if kids can't find what they want on iTUNES, they will download it illegally. My thoughts are, if a record company doesn't want to sell their music at iTunes, it's their loss at this point. They could sell some or none. If it isn't available at iTunes, then people only have a few other options.

1. Buy the CD at a retail store (if there is one nearby and stock is available)
2. Go without completely
3. Download a copy from ____________ (fill in the blank)

If I spend $300 on a media player, I will (as will others) find a way to get any music on there.

I don't see Apple giving in unless they TRULY feel the record companies are deserving... which they are not.
 
I also wanted to add... go onto UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP and see how many groups you would be missing if ITUNES didn't offer Universal.

If you need "98 DEGREES" on your iPOD, then you better start freaking out...

Otherwise, don't sweat it. Universal has nothing to threaten Apple with. No worries here.
 
McGarvels said:
I can't wait until Steve laughs in their faces. Who the hell do these guys think they are?
Click to expand...

Hmm, the people that can tell apple to go screw themselves and take their music of itunes, that's who. One studio threatening to ask for a piece of ipods is not as threatening if they all do... what you gonna do, not buy music at all?.. of course you will buy music. You'll curse the studios but you'll buy music (and if not you, mom and pop will still buy music even if not available on itunes).

Wil universal get what they want?.. Apple is not totally powerless in this potential negotiation but i doubt steve has the power to laugh in their faces. Apple does not make music, it sells it. A seller can hardly laugh in the face of the producer of goods (or the gatekeeper of those goods). Want proof?.. walmart vs apple. Apple makes ipods.. Walmart refused to deal with apple the way apple wanted.. guess who lost in that battle.. walmart of course.. they are merely a seller, apple is the gatekeeper of ipods. The same is with the music studios.. apple is a seller, music companies are the gatekeepers. They can dictate who can and can't sell their music and while every corporation is motivated by profits.. they can always take their music and go home. Sure they lose but so does apple or they can make their music exclusively available only on microsoft service. You might not buy the music but you aren't 300 miliion americans. I gurantee apple does not want to be sitting by idly watching microsoft steal a market they grew. Naw, steve is not laughing in anyone's face.
 
Here an idea. Have Apple buy Universal. Then Microsoft and pay Apple for every Zune it sells. Of course the government might frown on this kind of purchase.
 
If Universal get cash as 'compensation' for stolen music, then presumably once you have paid the 'compensation' money, you can steal as much music as you like. Cool.

Apple doesnt really sell music - it sells iPods and offers the music at cost (or close to it) to support the iPod. Its a smart move , and its a pity that almost ALL of the iTunes cash goes direct to the record companies.

I used to work in the music biz, and a bigger bunch of thieving clowns you have yet to meet.
Most artists get 6-8% of the CD sales. Yes folks thats a big fifty cents or so on an average CD sale.
But because they give you an advance against royalties, which you spend on recording and PR etc. etc, only the very successful (a huge 0.5% of bands) ever make any money. Its a losing gamble and it turns music into a commodity - which it shouldnt be.

This battle will run for a while yet, but there is hope that the DEMISE of record companies is on the horizon.
With computer recording etc., its not necessary to get a record deal - good music does exist outside of the music industry machine.
Maybe Micro$oft will implode too - the zune fiasco suggests that they are up their own arses as far as common sense goes.....
 
k2k koos said:
What on earth are these people at music studio's thinking!!! Did they get royalties for every stereo sold? NO, so neither should they get anything for iPod or any hardware sales. Only for the products THEY supply, should they get money, being the music and movies/ video's, in other words the content.
This is typical behaviour of music studio's and I sincerely hope that Apple will not budge, nor should any other company. Of course MS is eager to pay as they need their Zune to succeed, and Universal is riding along for a slice of the pie, but who will loose out in the end is the consumer, as these royalties are eventually going to get calculated such that we will pay them......
We should all start protesting all record companies to clean up their act, in the mean time, the general consumer should to, copying of music is stealing, the prices on iTunes are fair and reasonable, so lets be nice and buy them properly, and the record companies can then make sure there is more for us to buy (some real refreshing new music would be nice, instead of all this "X factor, American idol, etc etc manufactured stuff....) , and not just fill their pockets as they are trying to do all the time
Click to expand...

It's not music studios, but record companies, they are not the same entities.

A couple of things to clarify. I am actually a producer, who has a pre-existing deal with MCA/Universal Music Publishers.

1. Doug Morris, Chairman of Universal is a greedy bastard, who I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw him.

2. Artists, Songwriters & Producers are already getting screwed by major labels, not accounting properly, holding millions of dollars, using creative accounting practices etc.

3. The percentage breakdown with ITMS and labels is basically 65/35 as it is rounded off to the 100 in favor of the labels.

4. The real culprit here is Microsoft, who is whoring out Zunes in order to get a foothold on the marketplace. Consumers can speak with their pocketbooks, don't buy the crappy Zune players, but support your artists & songwriters who make a living off of sales, by purchasing music.

Thanks
 
Illegal?

I can't see this standing up in the EU - it would be knocked down at first attempt in the European Court I'm sure.
Whatever, if someone with no Universal Music on their iPod wants to I bet they'd be able to cause a stink by asking for the 'tax' back.

I'm surprised no one's sued Universal for libel since the 'all iPod owners are thieves' thing.
 
ARRh

I heard about this.
This garbage is making me furious.
Microsoft, get your butt out of the music business, you're lame, so very lame.
 
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