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December 06, 2005
Use an MP3, go to Prison
I have long believed that entertainment companies and software companies do not under how free digital distribution can often lead to more revenue, not less. I first witnessed this phenomenon back in the 1980's; when people 'stole' an expensive and popular PC program, only to end up as a legitimate sale in the future just because they wanted the latest and greatest versions.
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This sentiment was expressed in an opinion piece by Damian Kulash Jr., the lead singer for OK Go, written in the NY Times.
On whether non-paid content automatically means that the music industry lost money:
"... the major labels need to face reality: ... It's much better to have copies of albums on lots of iPods, even if only half of them have been paid for, than to have a few CD's sitting on a shelf and not being played. ... This is not just our megalomania, it's Marketing 101: the more times a song gets played, the more of a chance it has to catch the ear of someone new."
And on Digital Rights Management (DRM):
"Conscientious fans, who buy music legally because it's the right thing to do, just get insulted. They've made the choice not to steal their music, and the labels thank them by giving them an inferior product hampered by software ..."
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