We're a UK based retailer, and as such, do not have US territory rights to sell certain label product.
As to your observation of us having a very limited selection, this is partly deliberate, partly (as just pointed out) territorial, and partly (as my original posting stated) a symptom of major label DRM:
a) we consider a limited selection is not negative, it is positive - we do not sell label content for the sake of volume stats - our customers shop with us appreciating 'less is more', in that a multiplicity of choice is overwhelming and our recommendation authority helps edit toward a focus on the most interesting titles - we have a widely acknowledged status of being one of the world's greatest record stores as a result - google us to see;
b) being a UK-based retailer, we don't have US rights on some label content;
c) DRM prevents us from retailing the major label product offer as found in our London stores and mail-order website.
When devising our digital store (www.roughtrade.com), we didn't for one moment consider having DRM catalogue included. Contrary to it being a marketing issue of differentiation against would-be digital competitors, us opting to sell only DRM-free MP3's has been moral stance informed by three decades of selling music.
We consider it morally wrong to impose one set of ownership rights (on the same album) to those customers preferring to buy one format and not another - instead, we treat all our customers the same, whatever format they decide to purchase. To do otherwise would be disrespectful to our customers accrued over thirty years.
As it currently stands, major labels have ignored our long-standing retail support and that of our customers (arguably the roots of their prosperity) in favour of imposing DRM and thereby propagating an uncompetitive digital retail market, whereby retailers such as ourselves are unfairly discriminated against to the continued advantage of an effective monopoly.
For Rough Trade, music is not a content driver, music is a passion shared with like-minded people over a counter or website. The more music retailers that uphold this value, the more prosperous our industry would surely become.
The sooner DRM is scrapped by major labels, the sooner we can present our long-established customer base a consistent offer, whether they visit our London stores, buy online at our mail-order website, or download MP3 from our digital store website.
The end result being we can compete on a level playing field, allowing music lovers to choose their digital retailer based on 'music lover' factors such as the retailers ability to recommend exciting new music, and not uncompetitive, discriminating terms of format availability.
Slashdot Mirror
As to your observation of us having a very limited selection, this is partly deliberate, partly (as just pointed out) territorial, and partly (as my original posting stated) a symptom of major label DRM:
a) we consider a limited selection is not negative, it is positive - we do not sell label content for the sake of volume stats - our customers shop with us appreciating 'less is more', in that a multiplicity of choice is overwhelming and our recommendation authority helps edit toward a focus on the most interesting titles - we have a widely acknowledged status of being one of the world's greatest record stores as a result - google us to see;
b) being a UK-based retailer, we don't have US rights on some label content;
c) DRM prevents us from retailing the major label product offer as found in our London stores and mail-order website.
I hope that helps explain.
When devising our digital store (www.roughtrade.com), we didn't for one moment consider having DRM catalogue included. Contrary to it being a marketing issue of differentiation against would-be digital competitors, us opting to sell only DRM-free MP3's has been moral stance informed by three decades of selling music. We consider it morally wrong to impose one set of ownership rights (on the same album) to those customers preferring to buy one format and not another - instead, we treat all our customers the same, whatever format they decide to purchase. To do otherwise would be disrespectful to our customers accrued over thirty years. As it currently stands, major labels have ignored our long-standing retail support and that of our customers (arguably the roots of their prosperity) in favour of imposing DRM and thereby propagating an uncompetitive digital retail market, whereby retailers such as ourselves are unfairly discriminated against to the continued advantage of an effective monopoly. For Rough Trade, music is not a content driver, music is a passion shared with like-minded people over a counter or website. The more music retailers that uphold this value, the more prosperous our industry would surely become. The sooner DRM is scrapped by major labels, the sooner we can present our long-established customer base a consistent offer, whether they visit our London stores, buy online at our mail-order website, or download MP3 from our digital store website. The end result being we can compete on a level playing field, allowing music lovers to choose their digital retailer based on 'music lover' factors such as the retailers ability to recommend exciting new music, and not uncompetitive, discriminating terms of format availability.