Folks something stinks in this anti competitive deal that sees Microsoft paying a tarrif to the Cartel for no legal reason.
http://gigaom.com/2006/11/09/microsoft-zune-the-music-mafia/The New York Times reports1 that Microsoft has cut a deal with Universal Music Group which will allow the music giant to get a percentage of the sale of its upcoming digital music player, Zune. The report says that the amount being paid to UMG is going to be at least $1 per $250 device. Microsoft is going to extend the same deal to others in the music business.
UMG had been holding off on licensing music to Microsoft, which would have threatened Zune plans to take down iPod and Apple. Classic Mafia shakedown: pay us or else. The argument being made is that people are not buying enough via digital downloads, so the music industry should get a piece of the hardware action.
Today they are asking $1 a device; what is to stop them from asking for say $10 or $20 per device down the road. This shakedown should result in a serious investigation into the music industry cartel.
I myself think that unless legally mandated this payoff should be declared as extortion on the manufacturers of music playing devices and the consumer, why should anyone pay a cent to the music industry when they have already paid for the music as a digital download or ripped from their purchased cd, this is not theft it is our fair use rights.
I think some would rather equalise this stealth tax by downloading a single copyrighted song from winmx to make up for the extra cash being stolen off of them, a fair exchange is no robbery is it folks.
Shame on Microsoft for giving in to this extortion so lamely and forcing the consumer to pay for the same music twice.
