Name-Your-Cost Radiohead Album Pirated More Than Purchased

phantomfive writes "Forbes is reporting that despite Radiohead giving their latest album away 'for free', more copies of the album were pirated than downloaded from their site. Commentators offered up the opinion that this was probably more out of habit than malice. People download from regular BitTorrent sources, and may not have fully understood the band's very new approach to the subject. Regardless, Readiohead's efforts are having some measurable effect, as noted by the chairman of EMI: 'The industry, rather than embracing digitalization and the opportunities it brings for promotion of product and distribution through multiple channels, has stuck its head in the sand. Radiohead's actions are a wake-up call which we should all welcome and respond to with creativity and energy.'"

Comments

EMI Chairman says...

[croddy]

'The industry, rather than embracing digitalization and the opportunities it brings for promotion of product and distribution through multiple channels, has stuck its head in the sand. Radiohead's actions are a wake-up call which we should all welcome and respond to with creativity and energy.'"

Translation:

Please, pretty please, please come back. EMI loves you. EMI is your friend. We miss you guys! Just another little contract, one short one! Please? Just sign it? Please? Pretty please?

Re:Embarrassment

[Anonymous Coward]

I put -1 in the box and they sent me a dollar.

Re:Embarrassment

[dnormant]

They robbed you. It should have been $65,534!

Radiohead's Newest Album?

[morari]

Was there an option for them to pay me to listen?

Re:Embarrassment

[canajin56]

Or $100,000 is you are using Excel 2007 ;)

Re:Embarrassment

[ls -la]

They robbed you. It should have been $65,534! I think you mean $65,535 (2^8-1).

Or $100,000 if you use Excel 2007.

Re:Embarrassment

[ucblockhead]

Not true. I purchased the album at around 9:30 am PST on October 10th. The site was slow, but it only took me about ten minutes of reloading.

Re:Embarrassment

[PrinceOfStorms]

I see you're using the new grammar checker in Word 2007 :-).

Re:I think it's habit - AND convenience

[Fred_A]

I pay a tax every time I buy a blank CD. If that doesn't that give me the right to "pirate" my MP3's then what is it for? I wish this silly argument was buried once for all. The Tax on blank CDs is to compensate for the electrons that get stuck on those CDs and can't be reused. Then fresh ones have to be shipped from China at outrageous rates. Especially given the current price of a barrel of oil.

It's not like they grow on trees. So start memorizing tunes, learn to hum and stop wasting particles !

Re:Embarrassment

[Bluesman]

Ummm, 2^8 is 256...

You are entering a dimension not of sight, or sound, but of mind.
Who knows what the fuck the base of the numbers we're talking about is?
Look! There's a signpost up ahead!

Welcome to, the Slashdot zone...

Re:I think it's habit - AND convenience

[pipingguy]

People want one place to get whatever they want

Apparently such places already exist. I once did a Google search for "waterhammer steam slug pipeline explosion" and up popped an ad on the right side of the results that said, "We have waterhammer steam slug pipeline explosion at the lowest prices! Don't bother clicking the other ads!"

Re:I used a torrent

[Scrameustache]

a band i've never heared of That's a shame. If you had, you'd be thinner, happier, more productive...

Re:Embarrassment

[salec]

I think you mean $65,535 (2^8-1).

$64K should be enough for anyone...

Re:Embarrassment

[GPL Apostate]

Savings??

My DEBT is in dollars, and with inflation, I owe less every day!