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Warner Music CEO Says War With Consumers Was Wrong
l2718 writes "Edgar Bronfman, CEO of the Warner Music Group, has publicly framed the music industry's failure to accommodate file-sharing as an 'inadvertent' war on consumers. I'm left wondering how you can file a series of lawsuits inadvertently. 'We expected our business would remain blissfully unaffected even as the world of interactivity, constant connection and file sharing was exploding ... By ... moving at a glacial pace, we inadvertently went to war with consumers by denying them what they wanted and could otherwise find and as a result of course, consumers won.'"
Sorry, I inadvertently just made this post and hit Submit.
So, umm, when are you going to drop the lawsuits???
Eh, give him some time. It took him 5 years between "inadvertently" starting this "war against consumers" and admitting it was a bad decision. At that "glacial pace", I'd be pleasantly impressed if he called off the whole affair before 2012!
His use of the word glacial reminded me of this xkcd comic. I wonder if he's a fan...
Edgar Bronfman, CEO of the Warner Music Group, has publicly framed the music industry's failure to accommodate file-sharing as an 'inadvertent' war on consumers
I'm SO sorrry, I got that damned nasty lawyer all over you. Here, let me get you a napkin...
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
Slightly offtopic (or not), but I couldn't resist. That really reminded me of the behavior of the Hybrids in System Shock 2...how they would run at you and beat you with pipes while apologizing to you and screaming for you to run away.
I propose we suspend Godwin's law for all future articles regarding the music industry.
"Madonna was taking off her clothes on stage while Britney Spears was in diapers." That's nothing dude, Alice Cooper was wearing diapers on stage while Madonna was in diapers.
"by that I mean people who don't sit on slashdot all day wondering why everyone else isn't building robots" DECS
These are marketers. Polish that turd. It's like the old car commercials, which I have finally decoded.
Pontiac: "We build excitement". The brakes and handling suck.
Chevy: "Like A Rock". Damned thing won't start
Ford: "Quality is job 1!" They have a lot of work to do in the "quality" department.
It's kind of like the lottery, too - "you can't win if you don't play". You can't lose, either.
These boys are liars. If Zaphod were listening to these bozos, his glasses would go jet black in no time. It makes me feel dirty just listening to them.
-mcgrew
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
You're seriously comparing the Third Reich to the RIAA? I think you're being a little harsh on the Germans there.
Anyone who says "Aye" is a Nazi!
I don't always use unix-like operating systems; but when I do, I prefer FreeBSD.
Bronfman went on to say he would be pressing the RIAA to drop all lawsuits immediately, and that Warner would repay the excessive fees and settlements levied against file sharers. He then revealed Warner Music's new online store, featuring albums available in FLAC, 320kb mp3, and ogg formats, with most albums selling for $3-$5. Albums over 25 years old will be offered for free, with advertising to compensate the server costs.
He went on to state that many of his label's acts had been promoted based on style over substance, and that these acts would no longer be actively promoted. Instead, Warner's new site would also provide a place where any band could freely compete for listeners based on word of mouth and the quality of their work, with the most appealing bands rising to the top, and being rewarded with the opportunity to be promoted by Warner. Warner will split the profits from album, t-shirt, and touring sales with the bands, but the bands will retain full creative and copyright control of their works.
Oh wait, that didn't happen at all.
Your forgetting the legitimately interesting bands like NIN, Smashing pumpkins, Nirvana, Food Fighters,
I missed them. I like a good bunfight, I might check them out.
[Paging Dr Freud... I'm guessing you're 20 stone and had a Hershey bar in your mouth typing that...]