Post by merg on May 27, 2004 9:53:28 GMT -5
p2pnet.net
News:- It's happened.
Having launched amidst great, and completely unjustified, fanfare in the UK, Napster II has officially gone online in Canada.
It's up against ArchambaultZik and PureTracks, neither of which is worth a light and both of which are, more or less, vanguards for what will eventually turn into a major US record label invasion which will in turn lead to an unrestrained orgy of sue 'em all lawsuits of the kind Americans are now experiencing.
If Canada one day decides to make file sharing illegal, that is.
At the moment, putting music into a directory that might be shared remotely by someone else doesn't constitute copyright infringement under Canadian law. Thus, Canadians can - and do - upload and download with impunity and immunity.
Which isn't to say Canada's version of the RIAA (the CRIA ; ) isn't following its orders to the best of its abilities.
The Canadian Recording Industry Association of America (CRIA) been ordered by its owners and masters, the Big Five record labels (none of whom has a Canadian base), to appeal the decision.
It's using all kinds of tricks to scam Canadians into thinking Big Music is the innocent victim of a bunch of depraved online criminals who are cheating starving artists out of their rightful earnings, and "devastating" the multi-billion-dollar music industry.
And why not? The entertainment industry writes its own ticket in the US and clearly thinks it'll eventually be able to do the same in Canada.
That's as may be, however. Canada is on the verge of a federal election and it's by no means certain that prime minister Paul Martin will survive it.
Thus, Napster II, owned by Roxio, hopes there'll be a market. And it really needs a market.
It's crossing the border with Music. Legal, safe and easy as its banner.
Well jeez, guys. It's already legal, safe and easy. And it's free too.
However, there may - just may - be a reason for American users to log onto the Canadian Napster.
Unlike in the UK, where it's trying to rip people off by flogging its music at prices way above those in the US, in Canada it wants $C1.19 for a track, and $C9.95 for an album. That works out to around .86 cents US, compared to the .88 cents the cheapest plastic Big Music store - Wal-Mart - wants.
And an album works out to about $7.26 against the $9.95 it wants in the US. In the UK, it's after £9.95 ($17.60) per album.
It figures. Or, rather, it doesn't figure. But that's Napster.
As far as promos go, Napster II and Canadian brewer Molson announced a multi-year "mutually exclusive strategic marketing alliance".