2004-03-18

... ?

Guardian Unlimited | Online | Can't stop the music

The downloads, in contrast to the record label's own attempts at doing this, are available in ordinary MP3: no special player needed, and no copy-prevention mechanism built in. Mperia's top man, Joshua Ellis, is not interested in restricting his site's files, despite the industry's common wisdom on online piracy.
He writes: 'The record companies have been making a lot of noise about file-sharing and peer-to-peer software. While we certainly have our own opinions about the whole P2P question, we think it's a red herring. The record labels are afraid of the internet because they can't control it. They can't stop you from selling your work directly to your fans. You don't need them anymore ... and they know it. Peer-to-peer software isn't a cause, it's a symptom. The world is changing.'