US to Russia: shutter music site if you want to join the WTO

Iria · Jun 5, 2006, 02:52 AM

Source: Ars Technica
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Allofmp3.com has enjoyed great popularity and has managed to avoid the long arm of the law—not to mention the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry—during its few years of operation. Users are drawn to it because it offers something none of the other music download services can: DRM-free tracks encoded in the customer's choice of format and bit rate. All that at a low, low price.

Recently, Allofmp3.com has come under renewed attack from the recording industry. The latest round of saber-rattling came last week as the IFPI convinced Russian law enforcement to take a fresh look at the site with the hope that Allofmp3.com would be shut down for good. Now, American trade negotiators have warned their Russian counterparts that Russia is likely to left on the outside looking in at the World Trade Organization if the site continues to operate openly.

YAYitsAndrew · Jun 5, 2006, 12:20 PM

I'm glad all the allofmp3 babies are getting what they deserve. This service has been clearly illegal from the beginning. I was surprised at how many people were willing to walk the moral line on this one and actually think that the tracks they bought from allofmp3 were legal purchases.

Now they have a bunch of illegal mp3/ogg/whatever. And the best part is, they paid for them like a sucker!

I recommend a subscription service if anyone is ready to be a big boy.

Matth · Jun 5, 2006, 05:49 PM

OOO... the discussion there http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/...ca.com&x_ddp=Y is a good read.

We "know" that the legal loophole under which it operates does not apply to anyone not actually in Russia, though I'm sure many would rather obtain tracks in unfettered MP3 format to play on non-DRM players and MP3/CD players than in some DRM-infected format that dictates what you can play it on.

There is a market out there that would pay, but not the prices currently asked by "official" sites, and that is intolerant of the control-freakery of DRM.

The inevitable cry against selling tracks in a non-DRM format is "they'd be pirated"... as if that isn't possible by other means already... respect your customers, and they just might respect you!

Jun 5, 2006, 02:52 AM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	US to Russia: shutter music site if you want to join the WTO Source: Ars Technica __________ Allofmp3.com has enjoyed great popularity and has managed to avoid the long arm of the law—not to mention the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry—during its few years of operation. Users are drawn to it because it offers something none of the other music download services can: DRM-free tracks encoded in the customer's choice of format and bit rate. All that at a low, low price. Recently, Allofmp3.com has come under renewed attack from the recording industry. The latest round of saber-rattling came last week as the IFPI convinced Russian law enforcement to take a fresh look at the site with the hope that Allofmp3.com would be shut down for good. Now, American trade negotiators have warned their Russian counterparts that Russia is likely to left on the outside looking in at the World Trade Organization if the site continues to operate openly.

Jun 5, 2006, 12:20 PM	#2
YAYitsAndrew Anti-Piracy Poster Boy Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 2,605 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	I'm glad all the allofmp3 babies are getting what they deserve. This service has been clearly illegal from the beginning. I was surprised at how many people were willing to walk the moral line on this one and actually think that the tracks they bought from allofmp3 were legal purchases. Now they have a bunch of illegal mp3/ogg/whatever. And the best part is, they paid for them like a sucker! I recommend a subscription service if anyone is ready to be a big boy. __________________ "It is because the resistance to paying for copyrighted material, although often characterized as arising from a supposed technical burden or principled concern for the public interest, arises rather from exactly the same segment of the brain that is dominant in shoplifters." - Mark Helprin, Digital Barbarism In other words, it's never okay to steal even if you think you have a good reason! www.yayitsandrew.com

Jun 5, 2006, 05:49 PM	#3
Matth Flash Banner Hater Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,426 Rep Power: 93 System Specs	OOO... the discussion there http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/...ca.com&x_ddp=Y is a good read. We "know" that the legal loophole under which it operates does not apply to anyone not actually in Russia, though I'm sure many would rather obtain tracks in unfettered MP3 format to play on non-DRM players and MP3/CD players than in some DRM-infected format that dictates what you can play it on. There is a market out there that would pay, but not the prices currently asked by "official" sites, and that is intolerant of the control-freakery of DRM. The inevitable cry against selling tracks in a non-DRM format is "they'd be pirated"... as if that isn't possible by other means already... respect your customers, and they just might respect you! __________________ Mary had a little lamb, Her father shot it dead Now Mary takes her lamb to school, Between two crusts of bread