The end of the iPod?


"Despite the industry's belief that file sharing is anathema to record sales, a recent study has shown that it may not be so clear cut. 'Downloads have an effect on sales that is statistically indistinguishable from zero,' the controversial report claims, even going so far as to suggest that for popular albums, 'the impact of file sharing on sales is likely to be positive'"

An earlier article from the Guardian 'Is downloading really bad?' states that "the research from Harvard and the University of North Carolina says that, on the contrary, file-sharing helps music sales."

Bear in mind that these are reports on are illegal downloads, and not legal digital music sales. I say anything that creates new markets for indie artists can only be a good thing. You can read the full Harvard report here: The effects of file sharing on record sales

This is why the proposed Induce Act is so ridiculous. If it makes it into US law, companies who make digital devices like iPods and Mp3 players could potentially be liable if they are used to hold illegally obtained files. "In contrast, Gary Shapiro, head of the Consumer Electronics Association, said the Induce Act would slow down innovation as new products are targeted for litigation."

Save us from lobby groups and their insane ideas! You can't legislate against the world changing. All you can do is adapt and innnovate. Not that these dumn acts mean a thing. It just means the US will lose another industry to the Chinese.

If you want to tell congress what you think about the induce act then head over to the Action Centre at the EFF.org