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Sony Agrees to Stop Payola
dsginter writes "Sony BMG Music just reached agreement with New York Attorney General. Sony spokesman John McKay admitted that the practice was 'wrong and improper' but the company engaged in the activity anyway. They were fined $10 million and have agreed to obstain from the practice in the future. Is this the first step toward getting our airwaves back or is this just a slap on the wrist?"
Makes me wonder how much they paid the Attorney General to keep the fine that low.
Beep beep.
What are you talking about? "Obstain" is a perfectly cromulent word! :)
Actually, it may even be a more appropriate word in this case. If "obstain" is to "obstinance" as "abstain" is to "abstinence", well, I'm pretty sure the record industry will dig their heels in and keep paying out that ol' payola. It's been going on non-stop for half a century, and previous busts did little or nothing to halt the process. Sony may have agreed to abstain, but I betcha they'll actually obstain!
I don't understand this. I thought that the record companies were supposed to be the shining beacons of morality! What with all their protecting the rights of the innocent and defenseless artists, they'd HAVE to be completely upright businessmen.
:)
I guess the moral is that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Meanwhile, I'm going to start downloading music again.
-Arthur
Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules
I suggest removing all copyrights on songs/artists that benefited from the payola crime
This implies that there is a congress that represents the public interests when it comes to copyright law.
This, as you know (or should know), simply is not the case.
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
And anyone that can tell me Lil' Jon is a musician with a straight face deserves a frickin Oscar.
YEEEAAAHHHHHHHH!!!