First they came for Napster
I'm an XM radio addict, as I've mentioned before, and some of the new XM portable devices coming down the pike are so cool that Jesus invented them. They're a bit like an iPod. Not only can you walk around and listen to XM music, but you can save tunes onto the device, create and manage playlists, etc.
I guess it's predictable that the music industry would freak out. But really, recording songs of the radio? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this just a technological refinement of exactly what we all used to do in high school with cassette tapes?
Comments
Great topic. I think the record companies do need to let XM off the hook here. XM is still really young...I didn't even know these little devices were even out there, cool!!! But anyway, it IS like the radio and should be treated as such, i.e. home taping is legal. I think the record companies' problem is that the fidelity is much higher in personal recorders now and therefore they sell less product (everyone has a copy). Plus they hate that you can title it all up and enter it into a 'library'..it keeps their hands out of the cookie jar.
I think that there will likely be further dramatic changes to the music industry and there's probably going to be some big bloody battles ahead in the realm of copyright. My hope is that they will step it up and try to provide higher quality content, like back in the day, you'd tape something off the radio and when you had the $$$ you'd go buy the big shiny gatefold vinyl LP with posters and shit. Nowadays we reject the long-player format because most artists can't make 3 good songs in one go, much less 15.
Posted by: ortho | December 8, 2005 07:11 PM