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Thought this was worth posting as I know a lot of people who get their music online at these sites.
SOURCE : The Sun By DEREK BROWN
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/ [space] 0,,2-2004011632,00.html
What Dido’s Life For Rent can cost
HMV .......................................£13.99
Virgin Megastore ..........................£11.99
Amazon.co.uk ..............................£8.49
(plus £1.46 postage)
Amazon.com (US site) ......................£7.43
(plus postage £3.80)
Play.com ..................................£8.49
(free delivery)
CDWow.com .................................£6.99
(free delivery)
GREEDY music label giants are launching a legal battle against cheap CDs.
The British Phonographic Industry — which represents hundreds of record companies — is suing two Internet music stores for selling CDs for almost half their High Street price.
And they hope by winning a court case against UK-based CDWow.com and Play.com, music fans will be forced to buy their discs at the higher shop price.
Dido’s Life For Rent — the biggest selling album of last year — costs £13.99 in HMV. But buy it from CDWow.com and you’ll get change for seven quid and free delivery.
Even buying an album on American website Amazon and paying the airmail postage is cheaper than buying it here — especially if you buy more than one CD as the postage is the same.
It is proof yet again that British music fans are continually being ripped off.
Two years ago the Office Of Fair Trading ruled that record companies were unfairly blocking the import of cheaper discs from the rest of Europe.
So why are CDs less expensive on the superhighway than on the High Street?
Internet stores cut prices in two ways. First, they don’t have any of the overheads of big stores such as HMV, Virgin and Our Price.
They don’t have to rent a shop floor in the centre of town or spend money to display CDs in fancy racks. They also have far fewer staff.
But most importantly, many Internet stores import CDs from the Far East, Asia and North America where they are cheaper because record companies there take a smaller percentage of sales income.
Record companies here claim they have to add on extra expenses for paying artists, recording costs and distribution to the price of each disc.
It’s an excuse that many music fans will find hard to swallow.
Unfortunately, the BPI claims the law is on their side.
It is illegal to import even one CD from outside the European Economic Area.
So by purchasing a discounted album from, say, North America, a crime is being committed.
BPI spokesman Matt Phillips defended the decision to sue CDWow.com and Play.com, saying: “Let’s get one thing straight — the BPI is not against people shopping for their music on the Internet.
“Online shopping is a great alternative way to buy your music and many people enjoy it immensely.
“But to buy cheap CDs from outside the EEA is illegal. If we find that products are sourced outside the EEA we would have to take action.”
However, CDWow.com insist they were given permission by the record companies to supply CDs worldwide.
The case is due to go before the High Court next month.
SOURCE : The Sun By DEREK BROWN
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/ [space] 0,,2-2004011632,00.html
What Dido’s Life For Rent can cost
HMV .......................................£13.99
Virgin Megastore ..........................£11.99
Amazon.co.uk ..............................£8.49
(plus £1.46 postage)
Amazon.com (US site) ......................£7.43
(plus postage £3.80)
Play.com ..................................£8.49
(free delivery)
CDWow.com .................................£6.99
(free delivery)
GREEDY music label giants are launching a legal battle against cheap CDs.
The British Phonographic Industry — which represents hundreds of record companies — is suing two Internet music stores for selling CDs for almost half their High Street price.
And they hope by winning a court case against UK-based CDWow.com and Play.com, music fans will be forced to buy their discs at the higher shop price.
Dido’s Life For Rent — the biggest selling album of last year — costs £13.99 in HMV. But buy it from CDWow.com and you’ll get change for seven quid and free delivery.
Even buying an album on American website Amazon and paying the airmail postage is cheaper than buying it here — especially if you buy more than one CD as the postage is the same.
It is proof yet again that British music fans are continually being ripped off.
Two years ago the Office Of Fair Trading ruled that record companies were unfairly blocking the import of cheaper discs from the rest of Europe.
So why are CDs less expensive on the superhighway than on the High Street?
Internet stores cut prices in two ways. First, they don’t have any of the overheads of big stores such as HMV, Virgin and Our Price.
They don’t have to rent a shop floor in the centre of town or spend money to display CDs in fancy racks. They also have far fewer staff.
But most importantly, many Internet stores import CDs from the Far East, Asia and North America where they are cheaper because record companies there take a smaller percentage of sales income.
Record companies here claim they have to add on extra expenses for paying artists, recording costs and distribution to the price of each disc.
It’s an excuse that many music fans will find hard to swallow.
Unfortunately, the BPI claims the law is on their side.
It is illegal to import even one CD from outside the European Economic Area.
So by purchasing a discounted album from, say, North America, a crime is being committed.
BPI spokesman Matt Phillips defended the decision to sue CDWow.com and Play.com, saying: “Let’s get one thing straight — the BPI is not against people shopping for their music on the Internet.
“Online shopping is a great alternative way to buy your music and many people enjoy it immensely.
“But to buy cheap CDs from outside the EEA is illegal. If we find that products are sourced outside the EEA we would have to take action.”
However, CDWow.com insist they were given permission by the record companies to supply CDs worldwide.
The case is due to go before the High Court next month.
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The Sun care more about rip off britain than any other newspaper so I'm not surpised they bothered to post an article about the lawsuit filed against two internet companies a lot of you frequently use. Whether you like tabloid newspapers or not is irrelavant to this article.
I suppose there's always the chance he only "heard" this story from one of the Page 3 Girls, then....
Mystique wrote:
> "SOURCE : The Sun By DEREK BROWN"
>
>
> ****
> The Sun. Puuurlease.
This lifted my eyebrow, but the rest of the story takes your mind of that bit. But yer... The sun.
> "SOURCE : The Sun By DEREK BROWN"
>
>
> ****
> The Sun. Puuurlease.
This lifted my eyebrow, but the rest of the story takes your mind of that bit. But yer... The sun.
Well this is buggered... I'll just have to listen to the radio instead. Except I don't have a radio.
I can't be bothered to buy CD's at all...
Dead dirtttty
"SOURCE : The Sun By DEREK BROWN"
****
The Sun. Puuurlease.
****
The Sun. Puuurlease.
I was just going to post about this but I'm glad to see you have more facts than me!
I think it's terrible they're trying to sue them for selling cheap music.
If play.com have to stop trading or put up prices, I will download ALL of my music and give the greedy industry absolutely f**k all in the way of profit the greedy fat mother f***ing greedy sons of b**ches! f**K!!!!
[/end anger]
I think it's terrible they're trying to sue them for selling cheap music.
If play.com have to stop trading or put up prices, I will download ALL of my music and give the greedy industry absolutely f**k all in the way of profit the greedy fat mother f***ing greedy sons of b**ches! f**K!!!!
[/end anger]
Sibs you're allowed to buy CDs anywhere in the world. The only people who would want to talk to you are the "friendly" guys at customs. You're just not allowed to import lots of them and then sell them like CDWow and Play are doing. As long as the CDs are being bought and not downloaded I should think the music companies at the top should leave online importers alone.
Quite frankly that's bull.
I can tell you now that HMV import CDs from foreign countries. Not only do they sell CDs with the tag 'HMV import' (for even higher prices than their normal CDs I might add...) some CDs they sell are imported but have no tag.
Before I have bought a CD in HMV, then a few months down the line gone back into the store and seen that the 'UK edition' is on sale and includes a couple of bonus tracks. This is obviously because HMV are stocking an imported version before the UK version comes out.
And what if I want to buy a CD not available in the EU? Apparently I'm committing a crime. Well, screw em. I get stuff off Ebay quite often and it's often from the US. Maybe it's legal if they're second hand CDs(?) but some quite evidently arent' as they are still shrink wrapped, and others I have bought from Ebay have been promo versions of the CD (you can tell as they have a hole punched/drilled through the barcode, or the barcode is scribbled out in permanant pen, etc.)
I can tell you now that HMV import CDs from foreign countries. Not only do they sell CDs with the tag 'HMV import' (for even higher prices than their normal CDs I might add...) some CDs they sell are imported but have no tag.
Before I have bought a CD in HMV, then a few months down the line gone back into the store and seen that the 'UK edition' is on sale and includes a couple of bonus tracks. This is obviously because HMV are stocking an imported version before the UK version comes out.
And what if I want to buy a CD not available in the EU? Apparently I'm committing a crime. Well, screw em. I get stuff off Ebay quite often and it's often from the US. Maybe it's legal if they're second hand CDs(?) but some quite evidently arent' as they are still shrink wrapped, and others I have bought from Ebay have been promo versions of the CD (you can tell as they have a hole punched/drilled through the barcode, or the barcode is scribbled out in permanant pen, etc.)
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