Posted on: November 11, 2006 in Music
Zune/Universal licensing agreement
Great analysis on Daring Fireball about the revelation that Microsoft will now pay per unit licensing fee from every sale of a Zune player to Universal Music Group.
In addition to conspiratorial thoughts about Microsoft VS Apple, I think the most interesting quote from the DF post is from David Geffen, as he attempts to justify a per-unit licensing fee.
“Each of these devices is used to store unpaid-for material. This way, on top of the material people do pay for, the record companies are getting paid on the devices storing the copied music.”
But will the RIAA still sue Zune users for downloading Universal content? You better believe it!
A compulsory license is an interesting idea that deserves more thought, and having a tax on specific goods (like music players and blank CD’s) that eventually trickles back to the “Artist” (read: rights holder) might also work, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Geffen’s justification seems dangerously flawed.