Easier to Buy than Steal

That’s the ABC’s claim anyway:

The increasing popularity of online music stores is welcome news to a music industry that blames digital piracy for more than two years of precipitous sales declines.

“The biggest challenge for the digital music business has always been to make music easier to buy than to steal,” IFPI chairman and chief executive John Kennedy said.

“At the start of 2005, as the legitimate digital music business moves into the mainstream of consumer life, that ambition is turning into reality.”

(Why do I say the ABC claims it, reather than IFPI chairman John Kennedy? Because when they don’t support the claims they’re quoting, they attribute the claim in the headline, such as “National ID plan not another Australia Card: Ruddock”)

Anyway, having just been kicked in the gut by the failure, yet again, of Apple to open an iTunes store in Australia, I can’t say I’m much impressed by the idea that digital music’s easier to buy than steal. Brad then pointed me at BigPond Music in mock conciliation. At which point I got this lovely message:

In order to download and purchase music from BigPond Music you must have a compatible Windows Media Player.

At present there is no compatible Windows Media Player for Mac OS and as such you will be unable to play any downloaded music. You will be able to browse the BigPond Music Catalogue.

Easier to buy than steal my ass.

The national broadcaster also blithely repeats the claims of “more than two years of precipitous sales declines” without question. Tsk.

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