Universal Music Exec: iPods Are Repositories for Stolen Music

[SoulManX]

Apple Computer is facing new challenges to its iPod devices from content providers, who, while seeking ways to profit from digital technology, remain worried that it will wreck their businesses. On Wednesday, Reuters quoted Doug Morris, head of Vivendi's Universal Music Group (UMG), as saying that he wants the same deal from Apple that he has negotiated with Microsoft for its Zune player -- a royalty payment for each device sold. Morris said that all such digital devices "are just repositories for stolen music, and they all know it. So it's time to get paid for it." Two weeks ago UMG sued social networking site MySpace, charging that it allowed users to pirate its music videos. Meanwhile, the London Financial Times reported that the major film studios are demanding that, before they will sign a deal to provide movies to Apple's iTunes Music Store, Apple must develop software that will prevent the movies from being downloaded to multiple iPods from a single PC.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

he should have called repositories of sin, that would've been more dramatic

 

[Babs Gordon]

haha. yes. sin.

 

[Cаrter]

I know mine is a repository for stolen music.

 

[Erzengel]

I got your music!!

I got your music!!

You don't got your music!!

 

[The Amazing Lee]

The music companies have enough money.

F**k em...right in the ear hole.

 

[SoulManX]

The music companies have enough money.

F**k em...right in the ear hole.

Amen brother...FIGHT THE POWER.

 

[Future Prez]

This isn't right. Apple shouldn't have to pay royalties for something they didn't do. Just b/c the PEOPLE who buy the iPods put illegal downloads on them, doesn't mean Apple consents or encourages them to do so. That is a choice made by the consumers, whom Vivendi and others have already targeted and recieved millions from.
Of all the companies, I'm also surprised Microsoft fell to the pressure. With their lawyers and the money they have, I thought they'd fight tooth and nail to keep every dime they could to themselves.

 

[jaguarr]

And other MP3 devices aren't? Universal, Morris in particular, has had a stick up their ass about music downloads for quite awhile now. They only managed to strong-arm Microsoft into the deal they agreed to because Microsoft was desperate to have content on their Zune store. They also saw it as a way to attempt to undermine Apple's model, I'm betting, by establishing the precedent with the record companies. I'll bet Apple doesn't even blink at this, knowing Steve Jobs. Universal needs Apple more than Apple needs Universal at this point, since the iTunes Music Store has become the 5th largest outlet for music purchases.

Besides, Universal doesn't get royalties for my cassette deck, DAT tapes, DVD burner, CD player, record player, hard drives, computers or any of the other devices I own that allow me to play or copy music. The iPod and other MP3 devices are no different than those devices where music is concerned.

jag

 

[DeFett]

Thank you M$ Zune!

 

[samurai black]

Soooo what's next? suing steve jobs and micheal dell for each computer they sell, bc those are the real repositories. hell if have twice as much downloaded music on my laptop than on my ipod.

 

[Warhammer]

They don't need the damn money.

Get Over It, b****es.

 

[DeFett]

This could possible change all that:

http://www.macrumors.com/

Apple Controls Essential iTunes Patent?
Thursday November 30, 2006 12:18 PM EST

In September, reports emerged that Apple and Contois Music Technology reached a settlement over an iTunes interface lawsuit based on this patent filed in 1996.

Contois sought damages and an injunction against Apple for the infringement of the existing patent. The last word of the suit came in September, when after a 15-hour negotiating session, a settlement was reached but remained confidential:
"We're glad to get back to teaching music and selling musical instruments," said Dan Contois, a brother of David Contois, who works in the 35-year-old family-owned business. "The terms are confidential. We can't discuss them."

Interestingly, the patent lawyer involved in the case issued a press release today commenting about the implications of this patent and suggests that Apple has control of it.

The patent covers the system and methods for allowing users download media from a remote database and playing on a a local device -- essentially the methods for purchasing songs online.

According to Starkweather:
"I believe that, with this patent in hand, Apple will eventually be after every phone company, film maker, computer maker and video producer to pay royalties on every download of not just music but also movies and videos.

 

[jaguarr]

Interesting find, DeFett. I hadn't seen that one, yet, today. Mac Rumors has a spotty track record, though, so I usually take their rumors with a few grains of salt. I will say that I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's got a trick like this up their sleeve. Jobs tends to hedge his bets just in case someone decides to play nasty with him. He's usually got a way of pulling a big hammer out of nowhere and pounding people or companies that try to get ugly with Apple, but doesn't tend to play dirty unless someone else starts it first. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out.

jag

 

[Addendum]

 

[ang_hulk]

i guess but thats kinda like sueing body shops that install parts(rims,tires stereos) because some of it could be stolen,lots of people pay for the music,no where near as many as those who steal it but still,i wouldent pay anyone,christ,with this mentality they shoud pay lime wire and win mx because lots of people wouldent buy mp3 players like zune if they couldent put there stolen music on them.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

Isn't anyone seriously offended by the crap that the record companies are trying pull? and now the movie companies? seriously?
DVD is one of the biggest industries out there, back in the 90's I seated blood to get a vhs copy of the twin peaks series and now dvd's of tv shows are incredibly commonplace.
seriously they want to make apple pay them?
no one would download their crap if not for their player, that's why the Zune along with windows vista should burned in efigy (where is that anway...near seattle?) this is utter bull****, like when Jack Valenti called on the electronics manufacturers to stop making vcr's or face "the death of the movie industry"



gawd!!!!! my blood pressure......arghhhhhh!

 

[DeFett]

In the related forum at Mac Rumor there is some interesting talk going on about it.

I'll be interested to see what happens next with Universal Music.

 

[jaguarr]

In the related forum at Mac Rumor there is some interesting talk going on about it.

I'll be interested to see what happens next with Universal Music.

There's a big rumor flying that Apple Computer is looking to finally bury the hatchet with Apple Corp records and have all but put the final signatures on a deal that will offer the Beatles catalog exclusively on iTunes Music Store. If Jobs pulls that one off, he will have cemented his company's position as the music download leader and companies like Universal will have to just deal with it. These greedy music executive f**ks have been trying to figure out a way to gut out the golden goose to get all the eggs at once and Apple's always tried to keep them on the path of letting the goose lay it's eggs over time and slowly collecting the rewards from that. The music pukes wanted to jack up prices and come up with all these convoluted pricing schemes. Apple said no. They wanted to muck with the DRM to make it more limiting to the consumer. Apple said no. So they pull this crap with Microsoft to try and change the marketplace and it's blowing up in their face as well. They have no regard for the consumer at all. Pathetic. I'm not fond of DRM in the first place, but at least Apple's is reasonable and at least they've tried to protect the consumers from the record companies. Microsoft fed the consumers feet first to the record companies and it amazes me that some people haven't figured that out, yet.

jag

 

[Cyclops]

What a bunch of whiney ****ers. You big-label record execs don't need the money, you greedy, grubby sons of *****es.

 

[Abaddon]

The music companies have enough money.

F**k em...right in the ear hole.

PREACH ON!!!

 

[Kyalesyin]

So, why not put royalties on CD rewriters? Why not make blank DVDs unnavailable?

Until I get a decenht job, I will continute to download. When I get a decent job, I will buy myself and MP3 player of some description, and download more.

 

[ord0g]

So, why not put royalties on CD rewriters?

Going by the logic of that article in the OP we might as well slap on royalties for any piece of technology that could possibly store data then.