Record companies vs piracy – now, this is desperate!

[Eldritch]

I was expecting a preview copy of the new Alanis Morissette album, because I have an interview with her coming up. So imagine my surprise, when the bicycle carrier turned up, handed me the envelope, made me sign a document but when I opened the envelope I found inside an album by someone called Arthur Moore. I was about to phone the record company to complain, but something about the initials made me check the album first.

Yup, you guessed it, it was our favourite Canadian moose-face. The false name was a clever ploy thought up by Warners to fool bootleggers. With such great minds working for record companies, the end of piracy must indeed be near.

[dVTB]

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[One of the crowd]

I was expecting a preview copy of the new Alanis Morissette album, because I have an interview with her coming up. So imagine my surprise, when the bicycle carrier turned up, handed me the envelope, made me sign a document but when I opened the envelope I found inside an album by someone called Arthur Moore. I was about to phone the record company to complain, but something about the initials made me check the album first.

Yup, you guessed it, it was our favourite Canadian moose-face. The false name was a clever ploy thought up by Warners to fool bootleggers. With such great minds working for record companies, the end of piracy must indeed be near.

When you do interview her, I would sit well back. She has one huge gob and I fear you may be in danger of being swallowed whole!!!

[electroshocked]

Now that you mention it... Her latest video is almost an exact copy of another clip by Spanish musician Jarabe de Palo ("Bonito")... Apparently she asked for permission, because he appears on the video!

[Eldritch]

So you're a music journalist?[/b]

Yes. But only part time nowadays. I was a full-time journalist for seven years, writing mostly about popular culture, but got burnt out a bit and went into publishing. But I still write record reviews, columns and an occasional interview.

[Eldritch]

I was expecting a preview copy of the new Alanis Morissette album, because I have an interview with her coming up. So imagine my surprise, when the bicycle carrier turned up, handed me the envelope, made me sign a document but when I opened the envelope I found inside an album by someone called Arthur Moore. I was about to phone the record company to complain, but something about the initials made me check the album first.

Yup, you guessed it, it was our favourite Canadian moose-face. The false name was a clever ploy thought up by Warners to fool bootleggers. With such great minds working for record companies, the end of piracy must indeed be near.

When you do interview her, I would sit well back. She has one huge gob and I fear you may be in danger of being swallowed whole!!!

It will be a phone interview, so I'll be safe. But thanks for your concern.

I did interview her face to face though in Los Angeles in 1998. A pleasant woman, though hardly the best interviewee around.

[dVTB]

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[tweety]

All in all, the record companies are ridiculous. They actually think that their business is going down because of mp3s and piracy. The fact is that they put out TOO MUCH MUSIC of which TOO MUCH IS CRAP.

[Avalon]

The fact is that they put out TOO MUCH MUSIC of which TOO MUCH IS CRAP.

That's why EMI is cutting down and PSB are first to go Are you happy now, are you?

[tweety]

The fact is that they put out TOO MUCH MUSIC of which TOO MUCH IS CRAP.

That's why EMI is cutting down and PSB are first to go Are you happy now, are you?

Nothing to worry about. They can buy EMI.

[Lethe]

All in all, the record companies are ridiculous. They actually think that their business is going down because of mp3s and piracy. The fact is that they put out TOO MUCH MUSIC of which TOO MUCH IS CRAP.

Exactly.

Anybody who bought that Atomic Kitten single last week should be the ones in court.

[Ray]

All in all, the record companies are ridiculous. They actually think that their business is going down because of mp3s and piracy. The fact is that they put out TOO MUCH MUSIC of which TOO MUCH IS CRAP.

Exactly.

Anybody who bought that Atomic Kitten single last week should be the ones in court.

The Atomic Kitten single is actually good. (No, I haven't bought it, I downloaded it illegally, but that didn't decrease their sales since I'd rather wear fur than go-go buy an AK record.)

Record companies don't put out too much music, that's never possible. What they do, though, is treating it like a by-product of a big business, they'd rather not deal with these silly artist types, which is why there is less and less good music and more and more "content". It's easier to deal with content providers than with artists, obviously.

[Lethe]

It's pop rather than art.

EMI gave Blobby Williams £80 million (because people buy his lame rock) and consequently have to make cutbacks.

[Eldritch]

It's pop rather than art.

EMI gave Blobby Williams £80 million (because people buy his lame rock) and consequently have to make cutbacks.

It's not as simple as that. The Robbie deal was special, because EMI also gets its share from Robbie's tours and merchandise deals - according to Word magazine some time ago. It's one of the new ways that the record companies try to protect themselves from piracy - after all, there is no way that the pirates can duplicate the gig experience. And since the record companies have made the big conscerts possible by their marketing of the artist, in a way it's only fair that they get their share of the concert profits.

The Robbie Williams deal was in no way as risky or stupid as many people think it is. On the other hand, the Mariah Carey deal was the disastrous one for EMI.

[dVTB]

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