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Google Launches Google Music
George Meyson writes "Google has launched a new service known as Google Music that will allow a person to search fast links to song lyrics, musical artists and CD titles on the main search results page. The user can type in the name of a band, artist, album or song in the main Google search bar special, and results will appear at the top, accompanied by icons of music notes. Items that can be purchased will have links to merchants for online ordering or downloading. Initial merchant partners include Apple Computer's iTunes service, RealNetworks Rhapsody, eMusic and Amazon.com." From the Google Blog: "A few of us decided to try to make the information you get for these searches even better, so we created a music search feature. Now you can search for a popular artist name, like the Beatles or the Pixies, and often Google will show some information about that artist, like cover art, reviews, and links to stores where you can download the track or buy a CD via a link at the top of your web search results page."
Apple Computer's iTunes service, RealNetworks Rhapsody, eMusic and Amazon.com
:-)
I wonder why Yahoo Music Unlimited (the best deal around) isn't in the list.
The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
Just to clear up confusion, it will not be the RIAA that would sue Google. The RIAA is responsible for protecting copyrights on recordings, not published music (sheet music, lyrics, etc...). The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), or more specifically, their legal arm, the Harry Fox Association, is responsible for enforcing these copyrights, so that is most likely from whom Google will be hearing shortly.
Google may very well be the greatest of the "little people" advocates out there. They are one of the 800 lb gorillas on the block, yet unlike RIAA/MPAA/Apple/MS etc. who sue individuals, they are working constantly to get sued so that they can help set precedent.
This is just the latest in a long line. Google Print, for instance. Googe Images. Google News. All have attracted lawsuits. No suit has resulted in much of a change of service. Google, here, is standing up for everyone's rights, and I gotta say I'm impressed. I know it's dangerous to put any sort of faith for "doing the right thing" in any for-profit agency, but I gotta tell you, Google's track record thus far has been pretty good.
Excuse my speling.
Making The Bar Project
Yeah, they tried that with me too. Wasn't too successful due to the fact that US-laws do not apply in switzerland.
Instead they sacked lyrics.ch a few years before that (also firsthand-experience, I've been Sysadmin of lyrics.ch's ISP), which was also highly unsucessful after lyrics.ch was turned into a pay-per-lyrics website of the mob.
"The more prohibitions there are, The poorer the people will be" -- Lao Tse