Music Labels Charge Too Much For Microsoft

Bret540 writes "Yahoo is reporting that Microsoft has ended license talks with four major music labels. From the article: 'The paper [the Wall Street Journal] reported negotiations broke down Friday over what Microsoft considered high royalty rates.' How much more can the music labels demand when even Microsoft won't go to market? With other recent developments, one must wonder how long the music industry can keep pushing."

Cool...

[gowen]

They'll fail to agree on this issue, but decide to organise a joint conference next year entitled : "Price Gouging For Fun And Profit : How to make a de facto monopoly work for you"

They don't realize...

[Anonymous Coward]

They'll push until Microsoft owns them

Re:Music Industry?

[Alex P Keaton in da]

With other recent developments, one must wonder how long the music industry can keep pushing."
The Riaa will keep pushing until long after no one buys outrageously priced music anymore, and their sole source of revenue is suing individuals for humming trademarked songs in their cars without paying royalties....

Too much eh...

[ploss]

In other news, Microsoft puts out a new security update that enables a global Windows-based peer-to-peer filesharing network.

Steve Ballmer was quoted, "F**K THAT RIAA! I'm GOING TO F**KING KILL YOU TOO!! KILL!!! KILL!! KILLL!!!!!!"

Stock prices of major furniture companies went up as well on the news, on forecasts of the increased need for chairs.

Re:Yahoo!

[Anonymous Coward]

They lose money on every sale, but make up for it in volume?

Re:When..

[LuciferBlack]

From eff.org : "The current battles surrounding peer-to-peer file sharing are a losing proposition for everyone. The record labels continue to face lackluster sales, while the tens of millions of American file sharers--American music fans--are made to feel like criminals." Lackluster sales? Yeah I don't think so. "American music fans" ... Whoever wrote that needs to quit trying to blow everyone at the same time.

I don't know who to root for!

[flutkatastrophe]

This has to be the most ironic position either side could possibly be in.

Microsoft - convicted monopolist, one of the richest companys in the world, complaining about being ripped of by
The music industry - convicted price fixers, convicted conspirators, defacto ologopoly.

Re:Wrong question

[HotNeedleOfInquiry]

Two garbage trucks colliding in the middle of the night.

Re:It's already affecting Itunes

[feijai]

I can go to $USED_CD_STORE and buy $ALBUM used for $3.99-$9.99. I walk outside, sit on the curb and rip it to my powerbook in a higher bit rate than the downloadable version. Three minutes later, I walk back into the store and sell the disc back for $2.50.

As long as we're doing illegal things, I've got an even better idea. I can go to $USED_CD_STORE at night, break in, dump as many CDs as I can in a trash bag, and run away in three minutes. And all for free! I'm not going to pay $14 to $25 for a digital album again either!

Re:Gotta love the music industry

[porcupine8]

just want to give them a few more inches from behind.

Must... not... make... joke...

Re:Music Industry?

[VitrosChemistryAnaly]

What?

Re:When..

[keraneuology]

I belive the music industry executives to be complete and total morons. When will they realize that people will not continue to buy your product when you're overcharging?

People are buying the CDs. In droves. Even though they are being overcharged. If you put it out, it will be bought. Look at all of the kids who buy $250 basketball shoes just because some drug using rapist endorses them on the TV - if Kobe Bryant started pitching condoms the youth would rush to jump on the safe sex bandwagon. Fame really IS that compelling.

If Paris Hilton started listening to Milli Vanilli, was photographed with a William Shatner CD and was overheard commenting on how wonderful her latest copy of "One of the Simpsons Does Karaoke" was all three would sell like hotcakes even if priced at $29.95 - or higher.

People buy these CDs at these prices. Fact of life. Even with all of the law suits and the lawsuits they are still making a profit. They have no real incentive to change and therefore will not.

Now, if you wanted to see things change overnight then tweak the law to hold officers and employees of a corporation personally responsible for actions of the corporation. When a RIAA lawyer files a lawsuit and it is thrown out for lack of evidence then hold that specific lawyer personally accountable and force that specific lawyer to pay monetary damages to the wrongfully accused. When an executive inks a contract with a spyware company to break into people's PCs to check for illegally downloaded material, hold that specific executive liable in both civil and criminal court.

And above all, tell the FBI to start going after terrorists instead of people who download Ashley Simpson: Yodel Out Loud.

Re:When..

[hackronym0]

Basic Economics for RIAA, taught by .... Spinal Tap.

Spinal Tap: Most people charge $10 for 10 songs, but our store here charges $11.

Interviewer: But won't less people buy them, effectively lowering your profits?

Spinal Tap: But we're charging $11, they only charge $10

Re:Music Industry?

[Citrate]

You know you charge too much on royalties when even Micro$oft thinks it's high.

Re:Music Industry?

[MightyMartian]

Hello, I'm Bob, a record company executive. I wake up at 5:30am, bright and early, and start the day by filling my kids' toothpaste tube with napalm. Then, at 6:00am, I rape my wife while listening to the latest Britney Spears digitally enhanced crapfest. At 6:02am, I start my shower. At 6:05am, I towel off and disarm my half-crazed wife. At 6:10am I'm out the door. I check my traps for any stray cats, dogs are layabouts, and cut off their heads and dine on their livers. At 6:30am I wipe the blood from my mouth and drive my Hummer to work, making sure to run over as many people as I can manage, in particular anybody with an iPod. I collect their still-warm body parts and put them in the trunk. It's an eat-in day! At 8:15pm I arrive at work, take the contracts from the useless bumbs I signed six months ago who delivered me one top-twenty before tanking at 52, burn the contracts and send a hand-written note to their mommas warning them never to come after me. At 8:45pm, I assure Steve Jobs over the phone that I and Apple can come to some arrangement. At 9:00pm I play a recording of the conversation with my CEO, and we laugh and plot how we'll destroy that freeky lunatic.

It's going to be a lovely day.

Re:Music Industry?

[deanoaz]

You had me going there for a moment until I spotted the giveway clue that this was a hoax.

>>> and date a girl who...

And you expect us to believe you do that and read Slashdot too?

Re:Where'd that price come from?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Avoid DRM, low quality, high prices & the RIAA... via allofmp3.com"
Yup, and if you live in the US, you're PAYING to break the law! GOOD for you!

Re:Music Industry?

[kabz]

1. Antagonize Ballmer.
2. Screw chairs to floor.
3. Patent process of screwing chairs to floor.
4. ???
5. Profit!

Poor Steve Jobs. He must be in danger of herniating himself with laughter over this mess.