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Digital Music Downloads Too Expensive?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the suspect-the-source dept.

threeofnine writes "The Sydney Morning Herald has an article written by a copyright and technology lawyer asking if we are paying too much for digital downloads. From the article: 'Parallel imports are unavailable in the Australian digital market, however. Australian consumers cannot purchase downloads from iTunes or Wal-Mart in the US, which are often cheaper than downloads available here, without a US-issued credit card. And restrictive licensing conditions imposed by copyright owners also limit the sale of digital downloads across international borders. For both reasons Australian consumers miss out. And retailers cannot buy downloads from overseas and resell them here, even if it is worthwhile for them to do so. In a recent analysis, the prices of Australian-made CDs of artists such as Bon Jovi, REM and Robbie Williams were compared to those of legal parallel imports. It was found that the local product was as much as 300 per cent more expensive.'"

10 of 274 comments (clear)

  1. Why not... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    ... AllOfMp3.com?

    1. Re:Why not... by stew77 · · Score: 2, Informative

      http://www.emusic.com/ has a pretty sweet deal on non-DRM mp3s as well, using a subscription model. They have a focus on minor labels.

    2. Re:Why not... by johnfink · · Score: 2, Informative

      The availability over the Internet of the ALLOFMP3.com materials is authorized by the license # LS-3-05-03 of the Russian Multimedia...

      ... The user bears sole responsibility for any use and distribution of all materials received from AllOFMP3.com. This responsibility is dependent on the national legislation in each user's country of residence. The Administration of AllOFMP3.com does not possess information on the laws of each particular country and is not responsible for the actions of foreign users.

      In other words, this Russian outfit can't guarantee that you won't be sued by a certain US entity for buying and downloading their fancy-shmancy mp3's. No thanks.
    3. Re:Why not... by pNutz · · Score: 2, Informative

      And emusic is actually has contracts with labels and artists and compensates them for what you get unlike AllofMp3--REAL pirates who infringe on copyrights for commercial gain (from the dupes who actually give them money).

      also, audiolunchbox.com, bleep.com, and calabashmusic.com have good, compensated indie and world music. They're more expensive than emusic, more in iTunes range.

      --
      Death and danger are my various breads and various butters.
  2. Too expensive? I don't think so... by Anita+Coney · · Score: 3, Informative

    I find Allofmp3 to be quite reasonable! About 10 cents per song with no DRM. You can't beat that.

    --
    If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
  3. Stop the RIAA by zufar · · Score: 5, Informative
    EFF is collecting signatures to stop RIAA

    To The United States Congress: We are the customers and former customers of the member labels of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). We love music and will gladly pay a fair price for it, but we are outraged by the RIAA's tactics in suing ordinary Americans for filesharing....

    Let's slashdot the Senate and House Commerce!

  4. Re:Too expensive? I don't think so... by Anita+Coney · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, in the US it is not illegal. Actually, there is a little known loophole in US law that allows you to import music from outside the US without any copyright violation.

    17 USC 602(a)(2) says that "importation, for the private use of the importer and not for distribution, by any person with respect to no more than one copy or phonorecord of any one work at any one time" is NOT infringement.

    Thus, if you "import" one song from say, allofmp3.com, or from some other foreign server, for personal use, and do not distribute it to anyone else, the RIAA could not legally come after you.

    --
    If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
  5. I'll tell you why not! by mrdaveb · · Score: 3, Informative

    Again this crap is being modded up! AllOfMP3.com don't pay the appropriate royalties to their artists. I very much doubt whether music downloaded from their site is appropriately licenced if you are buying it from outside Russia.

    Like Stew77 said, emusic is the way to go if you don't want to support the big 'evil' labels. Give your money to independant labels, not dubious "too good to be true" Russian imports!

    --
    Homme petit d'homme petit, s'attend, n'avale
    1. Re:I'll tell you why not! by Cyberax · · Score: 2, Informative
      Or is it the case that in Russia anyone can sell any music they like without neededing the artists permission?
      Yes. Digital downloads in Russia are equated in rights with radio broadcasts, so AOMP3 just uses blanket radio broadcast license.
    2. Re:I'll tell you why not! by Cyberax · · Score: 2, Informative

      You won't believe this, but it is EXACTLY the way computer games are published in Russia.

      For example, a _LEGAL_ copy of localized (without English content so it is not playable without the knowledge of Russian) Doom3 costs about $5 here.

      Why? Because the other alternative is to "sell" your software for $0.