The Future Of Recorded Music? Could it work?

[Marxbro]

The Future of Recorded Music Sales
A Proposal

The Problem: In recent years the sales of Compact Discs have steadily decreased while the illegal downloading and pirating of copyrighted music has increased exponentially. A change is needed that will secure the future of recorded music, protect copyrights, and eliminate piracy.

The Solution: Give consumers what they want and in the way that they want it. The plan that will be explained below will require the cooperation of both Record Companies and Retailers to insure a healthy future for Artists, Record Companies, and Retailers great and small.

The New Structure: A shopper can enter a record store, which will look similar to the way that they look today, and make their own CDs. They will receive a bar code scanning “pen”. They can then walk the aisles of the store as they do now, picking up a jewel case and looking at it, examining the back to read the track list, checking out the cover art, etc. On the back of the case each song on the track list will have a bar code next to it. The shopper will then take their “pen” and scan the barcode for the song(s) that they wish to purchase. That information is stored in the pen until the shopper is ready to check out. There will also be a bar code on the back of the jewel case that will give the shopper the option to purchase the entire album as opposed to individual songs. When the customer has finished shopping they have three options, hand their “pen” to a sales associate at a Burning Station/Checkout Station or head to an Art Station/Checkout Station. Shoppers will also be able to head directly to a Pickup Station to pick up CDs that they have preordered via the internet.

The music that is available for purchase at retail locations would be of the same quality as commercially available pre-recorded CDs. This would ensure the highest quality to the consumer.

The shopper would also have the option of having the Album Art/Inserts/Liner Notes available as a Windows or Mac file(s) on the CD(s) so that they can then print out at home, saving time in the retail store.

Burning Stations: If a shopper is ready to purchase their music selections and do not wish to create any album art their “pen” is inserted into a docking station. The information that was stored in the pen appears on a screen so that the shopper can review the titles they have selected. The prices for each individual song are displayed as well as the total for the all of the songs on the CD that the shopper wishes to purchase. They will then be given the option to remove any songs that they have changed their minds about or added mistakenly. Once they approve the track list they will pay for their CD by Cash, Check, Gift Certificate, or Credit/Debit Card. While their payment is being processed, the information from their “pen” is sent via network to a centrally located computer which locates the songs and sends them to a High Speed CD Burner. The music files that are created on the CD are encrypted. It allows for them to be transferred from the CD to a computer hard drive and from there to portable MP3 players but when the song(s) are broken into pieces for upload/download to the internet they can not be reassembled thus preventing illegal file sharing. The completely recorded CD is then placed in a jewel case with an insert that lists the song, the artist, record company, and track time. The shopper then takes their CD and leaves. The memory of the “pen” that they used is then erased and the “pen” is ready for a new shopper to use.

Art Stations: These touch screen/customer friendly computer stations will give the shopper the option of creating their own CD cover art and jewel case inserts or choosing from the Record Company created Album Cover Art/inserts. Once they have selected the art for their CD they are again given the opportunity to review the track list and price list and edit it before making their final payment which is also made at the Art Station. Once the transaction is completed their CD is burned, their covers and inserts are printed. The shopper then takes their CD and leaves. The memory of the “pen” that they used is then erased and the “pen” is ready for a new shopper to use.

Pickup Stations: Shoppers also have the option of virtual shopping via the internet for in-store pickup. They can browse the stores’ website, select the songs that they wish to purchase for themselves or as a gift for someone else and have that information sent to the store location that is nearest to them. They will also pay for the CD(s) that they wish to purchase with either a Credit/Debit Card or Gift Certificate online. Upon arrival at the store they can head directly to the Pickup Station to give their confirmation number to a Sales Associate who will hand them their CD(s). The shopper then takes their CD and leaves.

The two ways that stores can store all of the songs/albums that shoppers have the ability to purchase are:
1. High Capacity Hard Disc Storage (HCHD) with network distribution for large/chain stores. This will allow a central computer owned by an individual company such as Tower Records to be networked to all individual Tower Records locations world wide. That in turn will allow songs/albums to be sent from a single location to any store in the network instantly. As new albums/singles/songs are released by a record company they are sent via a secure network to the main company Hard Disc.
2. For smaller retailers with out the means or necessity to use a High Capacity Hard Disc for music storage: Smaller retailers can use a secure network system to connect their store with either an individual record company or a licensed local distributor. These distributors would have their own High Capacity Hard Disc Storage with network distribution and charge a fee to individual retailers who wish to belong to their network.

All retail music stores whether they are large or small would need to add the three different types of music Stations listed above as well as a bank of high speed CD burners and high speed printers. Regardless of store size they would in one way or another have to be networked to an HCHD.

Fees: A business model similar to those currently being used by iTunes, Buymusic.com, Napster, etc. would be used to pay licensing fees. Similarly, a cost per song structure would also be used by retailers for pricing. It would also be necessary to include costs for materials such as CD-Rs, printers, cases, etc. as well as labor and location fees in the pricing structure.

Advertising: Record Companies, Individual Artists, Retailers would also be able to purchase space on any burned CD(s). This could include promotional materials such as free tracks promoting new music, Visual/Print ads, or any other advertising material. This material could be “Run Once” which would mean that the first time a consumer would put the CD in a PC the advertisements would run only the first time the disc was used. From then on the PC would recognize that the disc had previously run and it would not replay the ads.

Once this retail structure is implemented illegal file sharing would decrease to very low levels because any new album/song that is released for sale would be encrypted and thus be unable to be shared. The only music that would then be available for illegal sharing would be of music that was released prior to the new structure being instituted.

Legal Downloading Services: The systems listed above would also allow individual retailers as well as record companies to distribute music for sale via the internet. Separate encryption coding would be necessary for music that is being sold via the internet. This encryption would be modified to allow downloads, at lower bit rates than those available at walk in retail stores, to individual computers. It would also disable a downloaded song when it is shared/uploaded via an illegal file sharing service.

Online Purchasing: Consumers choosing to shop via the internet would also be able to use the retail shopping structure for gift giving purposes. Using a company such as Amazon.com or iTunes the consumer can order music/create CDs for anyone and have the physical CD shipped to anyone anywhere in the world.

http://brainsquiggles.blogspot.com/

[ReadyToHearTheWorst]

... The music files that are created on the CD are encrypted. It allows for them to be transferred from the CD to a computer hard drive and from there to portable MP3 players but when the song(s) are broken into pieces for upload/download to the internet they can not be reassembled thus preventing illegal file sharing ...

Achieve that and you're a millionaire!

[Marxbro]

Help me out and we both could be.

[Jackson Monk]

The Future of Recorded Music Sales
A Proposal

The Problem: In recent years the sales of Compact Discs have steadily decreased while the illegal downloading and pirating of copyrighted music has increased exponentially. A change is needed that will secure the future of recorded music, protect copyrights, and eliminate piracy.

The Solution: Give consumers what they want and in the way that they want it. The plan that will be explained below will require the cooperation of both Record Companies and Retailers to insure a healthy future for Artists, Record Companies, and Retailers great and small.

The New Structure: A shopper can enter a record store, which will look similar to the way that they look today, and make their own CDs. They will receive a bar code scanning “pen”. They can then walk the aisles of the store as they do now, picking up a jewel case and looking at it, examining the back to read the track list, checking out the cover art, etc. On the back of the case each song on the track list will have a bar code next to it. The shopper will then take their “pen” and scan the barcode for the song(s) that they wish to purchase. That information is stored in the pen until the shopper is ready to check out. There will also be a bar code on the back of the jewel case that will give the shopper the option to purchase the entire album as opposed to individual songs. When the customer has finished shopping they have three options, hand their “pen” to a sales associate at a Burning Station/Checkout Station or head to an Art Station/Checkout Station. Shoppers will also be able to head directly to a Pickup Station to pick up CDs that they have preordered via the internet.

The music that is available for purchase at retail locations would be of the same quality as commercially available pre-recorded CDs. This would ensure the highest quality to the consumer.

The shopper would also have the option of having the Album Art/Inserts/Liner Notes available as a Windows or Mac file(s) on the CD(s) so that they can then print out at home, saving time in the retail store.

Burning Stations: If a shopper is ready to purchase their music selections and do not wish to create any album art their “pen” is inserted into a docking station. The information that was stored in the pen appears on a screen so that the shopper can review the titles they have selected. The prices for each individual song are displayed as well as the total for the all of the songs on the CD that the shopper wishes to purchase. They will then be given the option to remove any songs that they have changed their minds about or added mistakenly. Once they approve the track list they will pay for their CD by Cash, Check, Gift Certificate, or Credit/Debit Card. While their payment is being processed, the information from their “pen” is sent via network to a centrally located computer which locates the songs and sends them to a High Speed CD Burner. The music files that are created on the CD are encrypted. It allows for them to be transferred from the CD to a computer hard drive and from there to portable MP3 players but when the song(s) are broken into pieces for upload/download to the internet they can not be reassembled thus preventing illegal file sharing. The completely recorded CD is then placed in a jewel case with an insert that lists the song, the artist, record company, and track time. The shopper then takes their CD and leaves. The memory of the “pen” that they used is then erased and the “pen” is ready for a new shopper to use.

Art Stations: These touch screen/customer friendly computer stations will give the shopper the option of creating their own CD cover art and jewel case inserts or choosing from the Record Company created Album Cover Art/inserts. Once they have selected the art for their CD they are again given the opportunity to review the track list and price list and edit it before making their final payment which is also made at the Art Station. Once the transaction is completed their CD is burned, their covers and inserts are printed. The shopper then takes their CD and leaves. The memory of the “pen” that they used is then erased and the “pen” is ready for a new shopper to use.

Pickup Stations: Shoppers also have the option of virtual shopping via the internet for in-store pickup. They can browse the stores’ website, select the songs that they wish to purchase for themselves or as a gift for someone else and have that information sent to the store location that is nearest to them. They will also pay for the CD(s) that they wish to purchase with either a Credit/Debit Card or Gift Certificate online. Upon arrival at the store they can head directly to the Pickup Station to give their confirmation number to a Sales Associate who will hand them their CD(s). The shopper then takes their CD and leaves.

The two ways that stores can store all of the songs/albums that shoppers have the ability to purchase are:
1. High Capacity Hard Disc Storage (HCHD) with network distribution for large/chain stores. This will allow a central computer owned by an individual company such as Tower Records to be networked to all individual Tower Records locations world wide. That in turn will allow songs/albums to be sent from a single location to any store in the network instantly. As new albums/singles/songs are released by a record company they are sent via a secure network to the main company Hard Disc.
2. For smaller retailers with out the means or necessity to use a High Capacity Hard Disc for music storage: Smaller retailers can use a secure network system to connect their store with either an individual record company or a licensed local distributor. These distributors would have their own High Capacity Hard Disc Storage with network distribution and charge a fee to individual retailers who wish to belong to their network.

All retail music stores whether they are large or small would need to add the three different types of music Stations listed above as well as a bank of high speed CD burners and high speed printers. Regardless of store size they would in one way or another have to be networked to an HCHD.

Fees: A business model similar to those currently being used by iTunes, Buymusic.com, Napster, etc. would be used to pay licensing fees. Similarly, a cost per song structure would also be used by retailers for pricing. It would also be necessary to include costs for materials such as CD-Rs, printers, cases, etc. as well as labor and location fees in the pricing structure.

Advertising: Record Companies, Individual Artists, Retailers would also be able to purchase space on any burned CD(s). This could include promotional materials such as free tracks promoting new music, Visual/Print ads, or any other advertising material. This material could be “Run Once” which would mean that the first time a consumer would put the CD in a PC the advertisements would run only the first time the disc was used. From then on the PC would recognize that the disc had previously run and it would not replay the ads.

Once this retail structure is implemented illegal file sharing would decrease to very low levels because any new album/song that is released for sale would be encrypted and thus be unable to be shared. The only music that would then be available for illegal sharing would be of music that was released prior to the new structure being instituted.

Legal Downloading Services: The systems listed above would also allow individual retailers as well as record companies to distribute music for sale via the internet. Separate encryption coding would be necessary for music that is being sold via the internet. This encryption would be modified to allow downloads, at lower bit rates than those available at walk in retail stores, to individual computers. It would also disable a downloaded song when it is shared/uploaded via an illegal file sharing service.

Online Purchasing: Consumers choosing to shop via the internet would also be able to use the retail shopping structure for gift giving purposes. Using a company such as Amazon.com or iTunes the consumer can order music/create CDs for anyone and have the physical CD shipped to anyone anywhere in the world.

http://brainsquiggles.blogspot.com/

Is this the longest post ever recorded anywhere and at any time?

[pophead2k]

The Future of Recorded Music Sales
A Proposal

The Problem: In recent years the sales of Compact Discs have steadily decreased while the illegal downloading and pirating of copyrighted music has increased exponentially. A change is needed that will secure the future of recorded music, protect copyrights, and eliminate piracy.

The Solution: Give consumers what they want and in the way that they want it. The plan that will be explained below will require the cooperation of both Record Companies and Retailers to insure a healthy future for Artists, Record Companies, and Retailers great and small.

The New Structure: A shopper can enter a record store, which will look similar to the way that they look today, and make their own CDs. They will receive a bar code scanning “pen”. They can then walk the aisles of the store as they do now, picking up a jewel case and looking at it, examining the back to read the track list, checking out the cover art, etc. On the back of the case each song on the track list will have a bar code next to it. The shopper will then take their “pen” and scan the barcode for the song(s) that they wish to purchase. That information is stored in the pen until the shopper is ready to check out. There will also be a bar code on the back of the jewel case that will give the shopper the option to purchase the entire album as opposed to individual songs. When the customer has finished shopping they have three options, hand their “pen” to a sales associate at a Burning Station/Checkout Station or head to an Art Station/Checkout Station. Shoppers will also be able to head directly to a Pickup Station to pick up CDs that they have preordered via the internet.

The music that is available for purchase at retail locations would be of the same quality as commercially available pre-recorded CDs. This would ensure the highest quality to the consumer.

The shopper would also have the option of having the Album Art/Inserts/Liner Notes available as a Windows or Mac file(s) on the CD(s) so that they can then print out at home, saving time in the retail store.

Burning Stations: If a shopper is ready to purchase their music selections and do not wish to create any album art their “pen” is inserted into a docking station. The information that was stored in the pen appears on a screen so that the shopper can review the titles they have selected. The prices for each individual song are displayed as well as the total for the all of the songs on the CD that the shopper wishes to purchase. They will then be given the option to remove any songs that they have changed their minds about or added mistakenly. Once they approve the track list they will pay for their CD by Cash, Check, Gift Certificate, or Credit/Debit Card. While their payment is being processed, the information from their “pen” is sent via network to a centrally located computer which locates the songs and sends them to a High Speed CD Burner. The music files that are created on the CD are encrypted. It allows for them to be transferred from the CD to a computer hard drive and from there to portable MP3 players but when the song(s) are broken into pieces for upload/download to the internet they can not be reassembled thus preventing illegal file sharing. The completely recorded CD is then placed in a jewel case with an insert that lists the song, the artist, record company, and track time. The shopper then takes their CD and leaves. The memory of the “pen” that they used is then erased and the “pen” is ready for a new shopper to use.

Art Stations: These touch screen/customer friendly computer stations will give the shopper the option of creating their own CD cover art and jewel case inserts or choosing from the Record Company created Album Cover Art/inserts. Once they have selected the art for their CD they are again given the opportunity to review the track list and price list and edit it before making their final payment which is also made at the Art Station. Once the transaction is completed their CD is burned, their covers and inserts are printed. The shopper then takes their CD and leaves. The memory of the “pen” that they used is then erased and the “pen” is ready for a new shopper to use.

Pickup Stations: Shoppers also have the option of virtual shopping via the internet for in-store pickup. They can browse the stores’ website, select the songs that they wish to purchase for themselves or as a gift for someone else and have that information sent to the store location that is nearest to them. They will also pay for the CD(s) that they wish to purchase with either a Credit/Debit Card or Gift Certificate online. Upon arrival at the store they can head directly to the Pickup Station to give their confirmation number to a Sales Associate who will hand them their CD(s). The shopper then takes their CD and leaves.

The two ways that stores can store all of the songs/albums that shoppers have the ability to purchase are:
1. High Capacity Hard Disc Storage (HCHD) with network distribution for large/chain stores. This will allow a central computer owned by an individual company such as Tower Records to be networked to all individual Tower Records locations world wide. That in turn will allow songs/albums to be sent from a single location to any store in the network instantly. As new albums/singles/songs are released by a record company they are sent via a secure network to the main company Hard Disc.
2. For smaller retailers with out the means or necessity to use a High Capacity Hard Disc for music storage: Smaller retailers can use a secure network system to connect their store with either an individual record company or a licensed local distributor. These distributors would have their own High Capacity Hard Disc Storage with network distribution and charge a fee to individual retailers who wish to belong to their network.

All retail music stores whether they are large or small would need to add the three different types of music Stations listed above as well as a bank of high speed CD burners and high speed printers. Regardless of store size they would in one way or another have to be networked to an HCHD.

Fees: A business model similar to those currently being used by iTunes, Buymusic.com, Napster, etc. would be used to pay licensing fees. Similarly, a cost per song structure would also be used by retailers for pricing. It would also be necessary to include costs for materials such as CD-Rs, printers, cases, etc. as well as labor and location fees in the pricing structure.

Advertising: Record Companies, Individual Artists, Retailers would also be able to purchase space on any burned CD(s). This could include promotional materials such as free tracks promoting new music, Visual/Print ads, or any other advertising material. This material could be “Run Once” which would mean that the first time a consumer would put the CD in a PC the advertisements would run only the first time the disc was used. From then on the PC would recognize that the disc had previously run and it would not replay the ads.

Once this retail structure is implemented illegal file sharing would decrease to very low levels because any new album/song that is released for sale would be encrypted and thus be unable to be shared. The only music that would then be available for illegal sharing would be of music that was released prior to the new structure being instituted.

Legal Downloading Services: The systems listed above would also allow individual retailers as well as record companies to distribute music for sale via the internet. Separate encryption coding would be necessary for music that is being sold via the internet. This encryption would be modified to allow downloads, at lower bit rates than those available at walk in retail stores, to individual computers. It would also disable a downloaded song when it is shared/uploaded via an illegal file sharing service.

Online Purchasing: Consumers choosing to shop via the internet would also be able to use the retail shopping structure for gift giving purposes. Using a company such as Amazon.com or iTunes the consumer can order music/create CDs for anyone and have the physical CD shipped to anyone anywhere in the world.

http://brainsquiggles.blogspot.com/

Is this the longest post ever recorded anywhere and at any time?

No, this is.

[Jackson Monk]

The Future of Recorded Music Sales
A Proposal

The Problem: In recent years the sales of Compact Discs have steadily decreased while the illegal downloading and pirating of copyrighted music has increased exponentially. A change is needed that will secure the future of recorded music, protect copyrights, and eliminate piracy.

The Solution: Give consumers what they want and in the way that they want it. The plan that will be explained below will require the cooperation of both Record Companies and Retailers to insure a healthy future for Artists, Record Companies, and Retailers great and small.

The New Structure: A shopper can enter a record store, which will look similar to the way that they look today, and make their own CDs. They will receive a bar code scanning “pen”. They can then walk the aisles of the store as they do now, picking up a jewel case and looking at it, examining the back to read the track list, checking out the cover art, etc. On the back of the case each song on the track list will have a bar code next to it. The shopper will then take their “pen” and scan the barcode for the song(s) that they wish to purchase. That information is stored in the pen until the shopper is ready to check out. There will also be a bar code on the back of the jewel case that will give the shopper the option to purchase the entire album as opposed to individual songs. When the customer has finished shopping they have three options, hand their “pen” to a sales associate at a Burning Station/Checkout Station or head to an Art Station/Checkout Station. Shoppers will also be able to head directly to a Pickup Station to pick up CDs that they have preordered via the internet.

The music that is available for purchase at retail locations would be of the same quality as commercially available pre-recorded CDs. This would ensure the highest quality to the consumer.

The shopper would also have the option of having the Album Art/Inserts/Liner Notes available as a Windows or Mac file(s) on the CD(s) so that they can then print out at home, saving time in the retail store.

Burning Stations: If a shopper is ready to purchase their music selections and do not wish to create any album art their “pen” is inserted into a docking station. The information that was stored in the pen appears on a screen so that the shopper can review the titles they have selected. The prices for each individual song are displayed as well as the total for the all of the songs on the CD that the shopper wishes to purchase. They will then be given the option to remove any songs that they have changed their minds about or added mistakenly. Once they approve the track list they will pay for their CD by Cash, Check, Gift Certificate, or Credit/Debit Card. While their payment is being processed, the information from their “pen” is sent via network to a centrally located computer which locates the songs and sends them to a High Speed CD Burner. The music files that are created on the CD are encrypted. It allows for them to be transferred from the CD to a computer hard drive and from there to portable MP3 players but when the song(s) are broken into pieces for upload/download to the internet they can not be reassembled thus preventing illegal file sharing. The completely recorded CD is then placed in a jewel case with an insert that lists the song, the artist, record company, and track time. The shopper then takes their CD and leaves. The memory of the “pen” that they used is then erased and the “pen” is ready for a new shopper to use.

Art Stations: These touch screen/customer friendly computer stations will give the shopper the option of creating their own CD cover art and jewel case inserts or choosing from the Record Company created Album Cover Art/inserts. Once they have selected the art for their CD they are again given the opportunity to review the track list and price list and edit it before making their final payment which is also made at the Art Station. Once the transaction is completed their CD is burned, their covers and inserts are printed. The shopper then takes their CD and leaves. The memory of the “pen” that they used is then erased and the “pen” is ready for a new shopper to use.

Pickup Stations: Shoppers also have the option of virtual shopping via the internet for in-store pickup. They can browse the stores’ website, select the songs that they wish to purchase for themselves or as a gift for someone else and have that information sent to the store location that is nearest to them. They will also pay for the CD(s) that they wish to purchase with either a Credit/Debit Card or Gift Certificate online. Upon arrival at the store they can head directly to the Pickup Station to give their confirmation number to a Sales Associate who will hand them their CD(s). The shopper then takes their CD and leaves.

The two ways that stores can store all of the songs/albums that shoppers have the ability to purchase are:
1. High Capacity Hard Disc Storage (HCHD) with network distribution for large/chain stores. This will allow a central computer owned by an individual company such as Tower Records to be networked to all individual Tower Records locations world wide. That in turn will allow songs/albums to be sent from a single location to any store in the network instantly. As new albums/singles/songs are released by a record company they are sent via a secure network to the main company Hard Disc.
2. For smaller retailers with out the means or necessity to use a High Capacity Hard Disc for music storage: Smaller retailers can use a secure network system to connect their store with either an individual record company or a licensed local distributor. These distributors would have their own High Capacity Hard Disc Storage with network distribution and charge a fee to individual retailers who wish to belong to their network.

All retail music stores whether they are large or small would need to add the three different types of music Stations listed above as well as a bank of high speed CD burners and high speed printers. Regardless of store size they would in one way or another have to be networked to an HCHD.

Fees: A business model similar to those currently being used by iTunes, Buymusic.com, Napster, etc. would be used to pay licensing fees. Similarly, a cost per song structure would also be used by retailers for pricing. It would also be necessary to include costs for materials such as CD-Rs, printers, cases, etc. as well as labor and location fees in the pricing structure.

Advertising: Record Companies, Individual Artists, Retailers would also be able to purchase space on any burned CD(s). This could include promotional materials such as free tracks promoting new music, Visual/Print ads, or any other advertising material. This material could be “Run Once” which would mean that the first time a consumer would put the CD in a PC the advertisements would run only the first time the disc was used. From then on the PC would recognize that the disc had previously run and it would not replay the ads.

Once this retail structure is implemented illegal file sharing would decrease to very low levels because any new album/song that is released for sale would be encrypted and thus be unable to be shared. The only music that would then be available for illegal sharing would be of music that was released prior to the new structure being instituted.

Legal Downloading Services: The systems listed above would also allow individual retailers as well as record companies to distribute music for sale via the internet. Separate encryption coding would be necessary for music that is being sold via the internet. This encryption would be modified to allow downloads, at lower bit rates than those available at walk in retail stores, to individual computers. It would also disable a downloaded song when it is shared/uploaded via an illegal file sharing service.

Online Purchasing: Consumers choosing to shop via the internet would also be able to use the retail shopping structure for gift giving purposes. Using a company such as Amazon.com or iTunes the consumer can order music/create CDs for anyone and have the physical CD shipped to anyone anywhere in the world.

http://brainsquiggles.blogspot.com/

Is this the longest post ever recorded anywhere and at any time?

No, this is.

Surely this one is longer...??

[DrJ]

But I have a "Burning Station", an "Art Station" and a "Pick Up Station" in my home, and it looks like this:


So what is the point of the original post? "Man I sure wish I could buy those tracks in a shop, instead of my front room" Oh, ok then...

Why couldn't a small local retailer have a computer running iTunes on his desk and he buys tracks for customers and burns them onto a CD for them, isn't that the same thing? I don't really see any solution being offered for anything in this proposal.

Once this retail structure is implemented illegal file sharing would decrease to very low levels because any new album/song that is released for sale would be encrypted and thus be unable to be shared. The only music that would then be available for illegal sharing would be of music that was released prior to the new structure being instituted.

Christ Man! The genie's out of the bottle! Is this proposal from five years ago! So. Many. Faults...

DrJ

[laughingcrow]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

a)make all singles and some live recordings free to download off artists websites

b)reduce the price of albums by a couple of quid.

hey presto!