Slashdot Mirror
French Government May Subsidize Music Downloads
angry tapir writes "The European Commission has approved a French program to subsidize legal music downloads for young people. The Carte Musique scheme gives €25 (US$35) to French residents aged 12 to 25 to spend on music downloads or subscription services. Young people can purchase a €50 card for just €25, with the balance paid by the state."
for the next 2 years while this is in effect, the online music services will be raising their prices to milk the system.
They most likely won't but I wouldn't put it past those seeing this as a good money grab opportunity.
How many cards can I get and can I buy my own music with it from my own 'label'?
25€ to be spent in WHICH music store ? iTunes, Amazon, Napster ?
1% APY, No fees, Online Bank https://captl1.co/2uIErYq Don't let your $$$ sit in a no-interest acct.
France has regular riots with minorities, an economy down the drain, one hell of a reputation with the deportation of Roma and now it gives a 200 million euro subsidy to the music industry?
Just WTF?
Is his wife payed for by the music lobby? And it still requires people that in the plan are claimed to be unwilling to pay for music, to pay for music. Just not so much. Once...
And why does the state have to pay for this? Can't the music industry itself offer a discount action? Why must the average french taxpayer pay for 50% off for some kid for an American song with the money going abroad?
This isn't even corruption anymore. It shows a level of detachment from reality in the French government that is closer to insanity. "Let them eat cake", at least showed an awareness that the issue was related to food. This proposal doesn't even grasp. "42, beezlebug for I am, bibble", Marie Antoinette was heard to say, just before her head came off. Insanity.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
How is that not illegal state aid under EU law? Because they dont target specific content providers? Sounds highly dubious.
In a normal market, that would lead to lower prices.
Even in an abnormal market, it will lead to lower prices eventually.
(There are also more movies than you can ever see now, more tv shows, more books).
Unless the music, book, movie, etc. is spectacularly special, I'll choose the less expensive one first.
I stopped paying over $10 for DVD's several years ago. Actually, I mostly just stopped buying DVD's as I realized they were clogging up the house and I was never going to watch most of them again.
She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
'Free' music is your god given right, so much so they government even gives it to you as a social service?
what happens when those cards run out (quickly)? Yea a bunch of 'kids' who now think they are entitled to it are going to steal it and have a whole new mindset about doing so
Can the french government get any worse? First they implement the 3 strikes law.
Now they will throw 25 million euros a year (according to their estimates) - in order to pay the music industry. Why not grab the 25 million and use them to build more parks, or reduce homelessness, or put into education?
Answer: Because there aren't any 'homelessness lobbies'
Vote Pirate Party in the next elections. It's the only sane thing to do.
No sig today...
Cut out the middlemen and give it directly to recording industry lobbyists.
You're missing the point. Why should I be forced to pay a private content provider to provide a service?
I can't see this providing any social or cultural value: most of the music people are going to be downloading is probably going to be readily available. This is why it is a waste. A better use of the money would be to invest it into music education programs where people actually LEARN how to play and make music.
I am not against government spending, so long as there is real measurable value in that spending.